Should we carry Tasers as self-defense?

EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Stephen Bolick called East Grand Rapids police after his son Matthew "flipped out" in November 2009 at the family home.

The confrontation -- captured on video -- led police to use a stun gun on Matthew repeatedly, sending electric currents through his body. The 30-year-old, who was unarmed and had no criminal record, died a short time later.

His family, which is working on a lawsuit, reacted to proposed legislation Thursday to allow the public to carry Tasers for self-defense. A bill is moving through the Michigan Senate that would allow people to arm themselves with the stun guns.

The so-called Citizen Tasers would fire once, not repeatedly like those used by police.

And, only people with concealed weapons permits could own one. Last year, the state issued 86,000 of them.

"I've had a very bad outcome with my son with police, who I believe may have used it inappropriately, and I cannot imagine arming somebody in the citizenry of this country with Tasers to use against another human being," Stephen Bolick said.

Michigan is one of seven states that doesn't already allow the public to use the devices.

Bolick and the family's attorney want to keep it that way.

"What is self-defense? Some guy takes your parking spot at a ball game and you say, 'hey buddy, I had this spot all lined up' -- 'well, hey, you want to make something of it?' Yeah, and you Taser him?" attorney William Mills said.

Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, which passed the legislation unanimously Tuesday. It now moves to the full Senate.

"As a former sheriff, former deputy who served on the road, I saw many, many victims of crime -- everything from rape and robbery to murder, and I want to give citizens every possibility to defend themselves from a criminal," he said.

A recent Department of Justice study found no conclusive medical evidence to show there's a high risk from police-fired Tasers -- at least when used against healthy suspects -- but the study cautioned against using Tasers repeatedly, which is what happened in East Grand Rapids.

In that case, the prosecutor cleared police.

Jones was Tased during a House Committee hearing two years ago for demonstration, and believes the bill has a better chance at passing this year.

"This is just good common sense to allow somebody to have an option," Jones said.

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Watch former CNN anchor Rick Sanchez get Tased