Plan to arm jail deputies with stun guns draws opposition in South Bay

"The community is demanding the video footage of the tasering of 9 inmates, their medical records and the corresponding use of force reports, Aram James, co-chair of CJA, said in a press release. Without access to these records the public is shut out of the critical oversight process. The community demands transparency. Stun guns are frequently sold under the brand name of Taser, which is owned by Axon."

"Supervisors voted in 2024 to design a pilot program to outfit deputies with stun guns, ordering the creation of a report that would outline potential health impacts and community concerns of the the weapon's disproportionate use against minorities. At the time of the initial vote, community members expressed concerns that the the sheriff's civilian oversight body did not accurately represent stun guns under its billing of less lethal than guns."

A coalition of South Bay activists rallied outside the Santa Clara County Main Jail and Board of Supervisors meeting to oppose expanding stun gun use in the jail. The Board considered expanding a pilot that purchased 75 stun guns to purchasing 1,400 devices. The Coalition for Justice and Accountability demanded video footage, medical records and use-of-force reports for nine tasering incidents, arguing lack of access blocks oversight. Supervisors previously ordered a report on potential health impacts and disproportionate use against minorities when designing the 2024 pilot. The jail previously removed stun guns after an inmate died in the 1980s. The initial six-month pilot reported nine deployments with no injuries.

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