When you hear the word Taser, what comes to mind... safety, control, compliance? But what if behind that word lies a story of unchecked ambition, corporate influence over public safety, and a device that has contributed to the deaths of over 1,000 people in the U.S. alone?

On this episode of Up + Adam, Adam Montiel welcomes award-winning journalist and filmmaker Nick Berardini, the voice and mind behind the powerful new podcast Absolute: Taser Incorporated. From the boardrooms of Axon Enterprises to the streets of America’s most policed neighborhoods, this series pulls back the curtain on a billion-dollar empire born from a brotherhood and fractured by it.

We talk about the Smith brothers who built the Taser business, the whistleblowers who risked everything to speak out, and the questions we should all be asking about the tools we’ve handed to law enforcement. This isn’t just a story about tech. It’s a story about power, accountability, and the blurred line between protection and profit.

If you're into true crime, deep reporting, or journalism that truly holds power to the fire, this conversation will leave you thinking long after it ends.

• Listen to Absolute: Taser Incorporated:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-absolute-275471765/

• Watch Nick’s documentary Killing Them Safely (available on multiple streaming platforms)



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