Taser International Shares Rise on News of Safety Study

• But 2 of the Study's 4 authors are employed by Taser International

Shares of Taser International, the manufacturer of stun guns whose safety has been questioned, rose more than 22 percent yesterday after the company said a newly published scientific study affirmed that the gun's electric shocks do not cause cardiac arrest and "may be safely applied multiple times if needed." The news release issued by Taser quoted directly from the study but did not list the four authors, two of whom are Taser executives. The release also said that the study was published in a prestigious peer-reviewed journal, Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology. But the study is scheduled to appear instead in a supplement to the journal, not the journal itself. Studies in both the journal and the supplement are peer reviewed, according to Dawn Peters, a spokeswoman for the journal's publisher, Blackwell Publishing. In a peer-reviewed journal, qualified outside researchers evaluate the findings. After the news release appeared, Taser's stock rose sharply, closing at $20.80 a share, up $3.79. Just two days earlier, the stock plunged $5.95, or nearly 30 percent, to $14.10, after the company said that sales might slow because of increased competition.Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that the Pentagon had found the guns generally safe, although a military study recommended further studies.  The study noted that two of the four authors were Robert A. Stratbucker and Max Nerheim, who were identified as Taser employees. Mr. Stratbucker is the medical director and Mr. Nerheim is the vice president for engineering, the company said. [more]