Prosecutors have recognized that the taser is a lethal weapon.

The taser is meant to be a nonlethal weapon, though "less lethal" is a more accurate term for it. Yet these weapons can kill; and many of them can maim.

It is a good thing that cops carry these weapons; it stands to reason that the availability of that alternative to shooting a gun has avoided many killings. At the same time, the wild use of less-lethal weapons by thugs has caused many avoidable injuries. We need to consider their misuse as a serious matter even when they cause damage less than fatal.

And even when they don't cause any lasting damage that time, it is a serious matter because it is crucial that cops don't have bad habits of using them.