Structural racism behind increased Taser use against black people, report finds

Study says societal factors play more of a role rather than the views of individual officers

Police are far more likely to use a Taser electrical weapon against black people due to structural and institutional racism rather than the views of individual officers, a new report says.

It follows the biggest ever academic study of the police’s use of the weapon, which found officers increasingly see it as a tool that can get suspects to comply, rather than a potentially lethal item.