Taser International, producer of the greatest non-lethal law enforcement tool known to man, is rapidly expanding its empire to include a new video surveillance system called Axon that records response calls by law enforcement. This should help with court cases when cops are unfairly accused of brutality. But you know what's totally unfair? All of these negative, sensational stories about tasers. This constant negativity is overshadowing the great contributions that tasers have made to society over the years. According to Taser International CEO Rick Smith, who spoke with Fortune about the company's rebranding efforts, stories about taser-related deaths and such are totally unfair:

"The negative stories tend to get more attention," says Smith, adding that police surveys show the device has saved 75,000 lives. "Occasionally, sadly, someone gets hit by a Taser and dies, and that becomes the whole story. The Hangover and other salacious headlines paint the wrong picture." (One scene in the movie shows a violent, cruel use of the Taser for comic effect.) According to a 2009 Police Executive Research Forum study, officer injuries drop by 76% when a Taser is used for protection.

And by "salacious headlines" we assume he's talking about 'Man dies after cop hits him with Taser 9 times,' or other similar headlines. You know, it's a damn shame when someone dies after getting fried by a taser, but can't everyone just focus on the positive aspects of electrocuting people? Jeez.

[Image via Getty]