(Philadelphia Inquirer) It seems unsurprising that getting zapped by a Taser might scramble your brains a bit.
But such cognitive impairment could affect a person's ability to understand his or her constitutional rights at the point of arrest - and should prompt police departments to wait longer before interviewing a stun-gunned suspect, according to new study by Drexel University and Arizona State University researchers.
The study, "TASER Exposure and Cognitive Impairment: Implications for Valid Miranda Waivers and the Timing of Police Custodial Interrogations," was published this month in the journal Criminology & Public Policy. The U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice funded the study.