When Dueling Morons Use Tasers

Source: The Associated Press

BOULDER, Colorado -- Police say a security company supervisor and a restaurateur shot each other with Tasers in a "bonehead" confrontation over parking.

Police reports say Harvey Epstein, co-owner of Mamacitas restaurant and Casey M. Dane, a supervisor for Colorado Security Services Inc., were arguing over a metal boot that one of Dane's guards had clamped on a wheel of a van parked behind Mamacitas.

Dane told police he was afraid Epstein was going to hit him with a 2-foot-long pair of bolt cutters. Epstein told police he had only tried to remove the boot with the bolt cutters and hadn't threatened anyone with them.

Epstein told police Dane put his hand on a holstered pistol and threatened to shoot him. Dane told The Associated Press by telephone that he did put his hand on the holstered pistol but never threatened to shoot Epstein.

Both men drew Tasers.


"They shot each other," Police Sgt. Pat Wyton told the Camera newspaper. "It was just kind of a bonehead deal."

The guard claimed the van, owned by a Mamacitas employee, was on property he was hired to patrol. The van owner denied that.

Epstein, 36, said he took out his Taser only after Dane pointed his at him and his mother, who was also outside. Epstein also said Dane repeatedly told him he was a police officer and that failing to comply with his orders was a federal offense, allegations that Dane denies.

Don't Taze Me, Bro!!

A new gadget that combines a Taser stun gun with an mp3 player has been unveiled. It is on display at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which is expected to receive more than 140,000 visitors this week.


The iTaser, as it's been dubbed, features a 1GB player in the stun gun's holster.

Arizona-based Taser International sells the handheld stun guns under the banner of 'Changing the World and Protecting Lives'.

It maintains that the iTaser "Allows for both personal protection and personal music for people on the go."

Rick Smith, founder of the company, claims "personal protection can be both fashionable and functionable."

The company says the new device is particularly aimed at women - with red, pink and even leopard print designs intended to make carrying a stun gun fashionable.

A spokesman in Las Vegas said the inclusion of a music player would encourage purchases by women who want a form of self defense while out jogging, but who would otherwise take an iPod instead of a weapon.

"A lot of women aren't going to go into a gun store and feel comfortable enough buying a Taser, so now we have some outdoor companies and dealers - some cell-phone places are starting to carry them and hang them next to phones," he said.