Misinformation can be deadly. Ronnie Pino, 31, of Sacramento died last year two days before Christmas. A month earlier, Ricardo Zaragoza, 40, of Elk Grove collapsed in his front yard and was later pronounced dead at Methodist hospital, and on Aug 17. 2003, 38-year-old Gordon Rauch of Citrus Heights died after two 50,000 volts electricity pulsed through his body. Even more recently, 45-year-old Robert Camba of San Diego died Feb. 13 after being shocked twice. These cases hit home as a controversial debate regarding the safety of Taser guns raged.

The so-called “non lethal” Taser darts can be shot up to 30 feet away and emit 50,000 volts of electricity per shot. They are used to temporarily immobilize suspects.

“We think they’re great, and we endorse them,” said Sacramento Police Officer Michelle Lazark. “A lot of times those people who die are under the influence of a narcotic.”

OK, does that make it all right?

Pino, Zaragoza and Rauch all suffered from mental illness, and each of them took prescription medication. But a prescription medication user versus an alcoholic or dope fiend is not the issue. We’re talking human lives, families and misinformed officers.

What about the 14-year-old Chicago boy who went into cardiac arrest on Feb. 9 after being hit with a Taser? Chicago police decided to cease distribution of Taser guns, pending an independent investigation.A 36-year-old pregnant woman from Chula Vista was shocked in the back seat of a police car. Her 6-month-old fetus died.

Now that’s sad.

According to an Arizona Republic study, there have been 90 deaths connected to Tasers, one-third arising from some sort of heart failure.

“I have seen electrocution death, but the correlation between Taser guns and death, I just don’t know,” said Yolo County Deputy Coroner Robert Labrash. “It would be hard to attribute these deaths to Taser guns.”

According to Ed Smith, Sacramento County assistant coroner, there have been several instances of death where Tasers were used, but he says it’s difficult to trace actual cause of death to Taser guns.

“The problem is that Tasers leave no physical evidence,” Smith said. “There are no scars or marks like, say, an electrocution. It’s sort of like when a person drowns. There are no marks on the person, but we can conclude that they have drowned based on circumstantial evidence.”

If circumstance is what this boils down to, there will likely be a myriad of deaths to come, with police blaming each incident on drug use, or perhaps schizophrenia.

But maybe there’s hope.

Sacramento Assemblyman Mark Leno is in the process of introducing a bill requiring data collection, medical research and restrictions on Taser usage while the state learns more about them.

According to Kathryn Dresslar, Chief of Staff for Assemblyman Leno, some people are Tased and not even subsequently arrested.

“Despite laws about how you can’t market products on prisoners, we are using taxpayer dollars without sound medical knowledge,” Dresslar said. “Our main concern is that law enforcement purchased these Tasers without accurate information. Taser International marketed these weapons as nonlethal. Well people are dying, and that’s a huge burden to place on an officer.”

Autopsy reports have been requested by Assemblyman Leno’s office for each of the 90 Taser deaths across the nation, and according to Dresslar, roughly 30 percent of the autopsy reports cite Tasers as a contributing factor.

“Taser prongs are imbedded into the skin; they actually grab on like an eagle’s talon,” said Dresslar. “People actually have to go to emergency rooms to have Taser darts removed. So when someone says there are no visible marks left from Tasers, that’s just not true.”

The Air Force released a study, obtained by CBS news, which found that repeated shocks from Taser guns caused heart damage in pigs.If you’re a student worried about the risk of getting Tased on campus, rest assured.

“I’ve heard issues over the years about Tasers possibly causing heart damage,” said chief officer Ken Barnett. “University Police do not currently use Tasers and it’s not in our planning.”

Well, that’s comforting.

The Securities and Exchange Commission initiated an informal investigation on Jan. 7 regarding safety claims made by Taser International Inc.

Meanwhile, shares for Taser International Inc. have fallen, and Murray, Frank and Sailor LLP have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Taser International Inc. shareholders, charging “the company failed to disclose… and misrepresented facts regarding the safety of its Tasers.”

And there we have it: Commercial propaganda kills.

Carrie Espiritu can be reached at [email protected]