Are there are mandated policies regarding certain people that should not be tasered? such as people with heart disease, people on certain medications (blood thinners, insulin), illegal drugs, etc.
The problem is that you have no clue what a person's medical history is when you encounter them on the street. There is, literally, no way to know, in 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999% of the encounters. I was trained not to Taser:
1. An obviously pregnant woman
2. Small children
3. The elderly
4. Anyone doused in a flammable liquid
5. Anyone behind the wheel of a running motor vehicle
6. Anyone standing in water (drowning risk only, not "electrocution")
7. Anyone in a position to fall to their death (or serious harm)
For most of these, there are exceptions made for extenuating circumstances, but the policy is written in such a way that I better have a REALLY good reason.
The main danger of dying after exposure to the Taser seems to be cardiac problems (generic, but I'm not a MD). However, if the Taser was being used properly, it has been used in a situation where:
1. The victim would have otherwise been shot.
2. The victim would have been tackled and wrestled to the ground.
If a person has a heart condition that makes exposure to the Taser dangerous, they have a heart condition that would make exposure to a wrestling match just as dangerous. The Taser does not cause heart arrhythmia or even an elevated heart rate, but the adrenaline dump of experiencing 5 seconds of the worst pain of your life sure can. However, that same physiological response would be felt in a fight, with even more risk of serious physical injury.
The Taser absolutely reduces injury and saves lives, of both officers and suspects.
Mike