ABSTRACT
In June 2014, the company TASER International held a Tech Summit at its headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona—a promotional event showcasing its AXON body-worn camera systems. TASER is best known for its signature product line, various versions of conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) designed to immobilize bodies with “neuromuscular incapacitation” technology. In response to the steady stream of complaints against police filed by people subjected to painful Taser shocks, or tasings, the company began attaching cameras to its devices. The aim was to provide a visual record from the police point of view, primarily to counter claims that tasings constitute unjustified or excessive use of force. TASER quickly realized that it made more sense to mount the cameras on police officers themselves, and on-officer camera systems have become central to TASER’s business vision. The company hopes to build a profitable future off of the body-cam’s promise to provide factual representations of police work, aligning truth with the point of view of their primary market: the criminal justice system.
