Police add Tasers as sidearm

[Rose Siding]

1,000 officers gain option to shock
Tasers, which can briefly immobilize suspects with an electrical shock, will be issued to all Louisville Metro Police officers and sergeants beginning this week.
...
Officers began Taser training in October.
By December, about 170 officers, including Taser trainers and members of the Crisis Intervention Team, had begun wearing them while on patrol.

Between Dec. 1 and Jan. 19, Tasers have been used in 23 incidents, with officers firing them 26 times.
Four of those firings were accidental, while officers checked their equipment, according to department figures.
The Tasers did not work properly seven times, either because the probes did not connect or the weapon malfunctioned.
...
The policy says Tasers may be used when people actively resist obeying an officer's commands, when suspects are combative or present a danger to themselves or others, or where prisoners are trying to escape.

http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2005/01/23ky/B1-taser01230-5815.html

Is there a crime wave or an epidemic of officer injury that has been underreported or something? Why are these gaining such wide usage? Bad press has dogged them- they can't be good for community relations.

And 11 screw-ups or malfunctions out of 26 firings? Sounds like they're still in the development stage.

[Rush1184]

1. Anyone else scared by this...

Anyone else scared by this...

"The policy says Tasers may be used when people actively resist obeying an officer's commands"

So now we just stun them into submission?

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. these kinds of tasers?

<http://tinypic.com/1fw86o>

[rooboy]

3. Oh, goody!! just wait until robbers and rapists get their hands on...

these little babies. A nice non-lethal way to stop anyone from putting up a fight. This world is turning into hell.

[Jack_DeLeon]

4. I doubt that.

I doubt criminals will turn to tasers.

I'm pretty sure most places treat criminals using tasers while committing crimes the same as assault with a deadly weapon.

The real hypocrisy is when our police misuse tasers they arent treated the same way, its all just an "accident" and its brushed aside.

If I tasered a police officer for no good reason I would be in jail facing charges.

When a police officer tasers someone for no good reason he just says "opps my bad," and nothing will ever come of it.

[Conservativesux]

5. Police shoot someone with a gun, these days its still brushed aside...

They are already abusing tasers in other states as we write..

[Conservativesux]

6. Where the hell are the police getting all the $$$ to pay for these toys?

You have to wonder!!???

[BiggJawn]

7. And who gets a share of all this $$$$$$?

"Teacher says, everytime a Taser fires, Bernie Kerik's cash register rings..."

[BiggJawn]

8. Read yesterday that Polizei are complaining Tasers are too weak.

Some Perps are actually getting back up after getting zapped. The Pigs want more voltage.

Robocop and Soylent Green is coing....


"You guys want 'em to shit their pants when you hit 'em? We can do that!"