Hospital Self-Defense

Re “King/Drew Draws Warning on Tasers,” June 5: It is important to understand that society does not expect that nurses, their aides, hospital security officers or police should risk serious personal injury in hand-to-hand combat with deranged, drugged or otherwise violent patients or others. They are certainly not paid enough to assume these risks.

The Taser stun gun represents a nonlethal and less injurious alternative to the baton or the bullet. Obviously, hospital personnel must have documented training in noncombative management of such patients.

Still, the government should not arbitrarily limit the tools with which they do their difficult jobs.

David B. Sievers

Hidden Hills