A new documentary blows the lid off the shady underpinning of the Taser industry

You won't find a timelier or more relevant film at this year's Tribeca Film Festival than "Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle."

Nick Berardini's debut feature explains how two brothers built the world's largest Taser manufacturer, armed and helped train most of America's police departments, and became millionaires in the process.

Rick and Tom Smith founded Taser International in 1993 and have sold their stun gun to almost all of the US' 18,250 law-enforcement agencies (only about 450 police departments do not deploy the Taser), according to the company.

As the film progresses, these seemingly innocuous figures appear more and more sinister as we see them jump through hoops to avoid taking responsibility for the potential harm their product inflicts.

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