BOSTON -- Lawmakers on Beacon Hill could approve a bill Tuesday allowing police to use Taser guns or stun guns.

Video

Anthony Everett Reports On Stun Guns

NewsCenter 5's Anthony Everett reported that the local debate is fueled by two recent incidents of Boston police shooting and killing suspects.

Stun guns are designed to subdue a suspect instantly by delivering a 50,000-volt shock that freezes skeletal muscles, dropping a suspect so police can gain control.

It is used by more than 4,000 police agencies across the country and could soon be coming to Massachusetts.

But is it safe? Nationwide, more than 50 people have died after being stunned by a Taser gun, including Melvin Samuel who was in police custody and died just minutes after being hit by a Taser gun.

"I feel like the Taser originally was not supposed to be used to be lethal, and I feel like now it is," said Samuel's aunt, Teresa Samuel King.

An autopsy has yet to confirm Samuel's cause of death, but the manufacturer of the gun said it is safe.

"The best medical study is that the independent medical examiners who have looked at every one of these cases where Tasers were used and someone dies. They never found a case where Tasers caused death. Never," said Taser International's Rick Smith.

And a cardiologist said the 50,000-volt shock delivered by the gun's two electrodes would not affect the heart.

"The actual energy that is delivered to the surface of the skin is very, very minimal, and not enough to cause any irritability in the heart's rhythm." said Dr. John Beshai.

Taser International said the gun actually saves lives by giving police an option besides deadly force.

Taser International recently received its largest order ever from the U.S. military.

The company may also soon have a model available for the general public to use for self-defense.