The Use of the TASER in the Police Force Essay

The research topic we have chosen to research is Tasers. The use of Tasers has been a very controversial topic in the last few years. Reporters, doctors, and human rights groups have all expressed concern that police officers will use a Taser in situations when no weapon is required and concern has also been expressed over if the Taser is really a less-lethal option. No one claims the use of Tasers to be risk-free but studies have found them comparatively safe. We believe that people opposed to Tasers ignore a body of the reports showing the technology is safe and effective. The research question we hope to answer is: Is the deployment of a Taser a safe and viable

The Court in Bryan v. MacPherson stated that when the officer used the Taser with the probes, aluminum darts tipped with stainless tell barbs connected to the Taser insulated wires, toward the target at a rate of over 160 feet per second. MacPherson, 630 F.3d at 824. The Court noted that once a person is struck, the Taser delivers a 1200-volt into the individual’s muscles, making the impact powerful. Id. at 824. The electrical impulse instantly overrides the victim’s central nervous system paralyzing the muscles throughout the body, rendering the target limp and helpless making the person experience excruciating pain that radiates throughout the body. Id.; see Draper v. Reynolds, 369 F.3d 1270, 1273 (11th Cir. 2004); see also Lewis v. Downey, 581 F.3d 467, 475 (7th Cir. 2009). Although the uses of Tasers by law enforcement can help defuse a dangerous situation, the force must be justified by the governmental interest

Taser International, Inc. v. Ward, Court of Appeals of Arizona, Division 1, May 13, 2010

Thinking back to what happened to Amadou Diallo or even Rodney King, how easily could the situation have been handled differently if a Taser gun or pepper spray was used in both incidents? To begin with, If Rodney King was acting unruly, the police could have used the Taser gun instead of four different officers beating him with four different batons then place Rodney in handcuffs since handcuffs are good with “subduing uncooperative and dangerous criminals” (). Along with Rodney King, if Amadou was the suspect the police were looking for and the wallet that they assumed was a weapon, how could they of handled this episode differently? Of course the police could have revealed their weapon to exhibit authority, but if the verbal commands were not being followed by Amadou then action by the police could have taken place.

On contact, there is a decrease in necessary sugars and blood flow on the subjects body. The pain attained from tasers only last seconds whereas other weapons have much more severe consequences. For example, instead of shooting someone with a gun and potentially killing the person, they can be tasered and still live to see the next

Ever wondered if use of Tasers should be banned for all police officers in Canada? The Government of Canada must not ban the use of tasers of all police officers in Canada because tasers saves lives, tasers are less lethal weapons, and for the safety of the police officers. Tasers saves lives as instead of shooting someone, they can be tased and still live. Tasers are also less lethal than a gun, reducing the risk of dying. Also, police officers feel much safer by having them knowing they can safely take someone down rather than shooting them.

Much dispute has arisen over the place of Tasers in the use of force continuum. Training will address this issue more thoroughly, but the policy of this department will be that Tasers fall into the category of impact weapons. They are to be considered possibly lethal, and fall between the category containing canines, chemical agents and batons, and the category of lethal force. They are to be used only when a suspect is being actively aggressive towards an officer, and when the use of a lower force weapon is deemed unsafe for the attending officer(s). Medical issues are a concern when using Tasers. When a suspect has the spike of the Taser implanted in them, they must be given medical attention immediately after being restrained to remove the spikes and assess any possible injuries. Certain people must be given special considerations, including the elderly, the mentally disabled, the very young, and pregnant women (an inclusion in the very young). People falling under these

It can cause pain, muscle spasms, and even temporary immobility but no penetration of the skin. There can only be one way of truly fixing this. Cops should go through more serious training in trying to find other ways of constructing a person who is not listening. Also cops should only use their guns for when a person is truly posing a real threat. Another way that might help is to put a cop in jail if they actually killed a innocent

In a study questioning two different police departments, Orange County’s Sheriff’s Office and the Orlando Police department weighed in on what less lethal weapons their officers are equipped with within the field. Both are equipped with pepper spray, containing five percent capsicum, TASER model M26, impact weapons such as ASP model F21 and F26. Compressed air weapons such as the pepperball, 12- gauge bean bags and for felony offenders or offenses, canines. The darts of a fired TASER can reach from fifteen feet away if it is a civilian model but can reach as far as twenty five feet away if it is a law enforcement model. For a TASER to be fully effective in attaining a suspect, both of the TASERs probes must make contact with their intended target. In a random sample of fifty scenarios where the TASER was deemed as ineffective and void, thirty-eight percent could be justified of of the facts that both of the probes did not make full contact with the target or both of the probes missed the target in its entirety. Of these thirty-eight percent, majority ejected the probes of the TASER at a distance greater the fifteen feet. Yes, law enforcement issued TASERs can reach twenty-five feet but fifteen feet is optimal in trying to subdue a suspect. In this particular scenario, the probes spread out as they traveled further, getting

As crime and criminals have evolved over time, so have the police strategies with having to deal with criminal behavior. A less-than-lethal force strategy is one that the police have been focusing on. As stated in an article by Trostle (1990), there are several types of less-than-lethal force weapons. These range from; electrical devices, such as the TASER gun; chemical devices, such as tear gas; impact devices, such as the baton; and other rifle-launched soft projectiles impact devices, such as rubber and PVC bullets. For close proximity encounters, the TASER is frequently used. The TASER’s purpose is to incapacitate, temporarily, the suspect in order for police to regain control of the situation. Research has shown that a TASER has had an

Here is where you would deem less-than-lethal weapons dangerous, the public. The public, and those in the public who do not understand the job of a patrolman would deem them dangerous. Every officer that carries the OC spray, and the taser must be exposed to it. Reason being is that if the officer ever goes to court, he or she can testify in regards to that

According to Muth, Brittany L. (2016, 31) in Less-than-lethal options for military police: “When used safely, properly, and with caution, they are the best police equipment alternative to deadly force”. Those who are against the use of tasers in the police force often use the reason that heart attacks, as well as other conditions, can be caused by the voltage. But despite the chances of a heart attack or other serious condition,

Would you risk your life every day for a paycheck? Maybe you’d be willing to sacrifice your own life to save someone else’s who you don’t even know. That’s what police officers do every time they report for duty. Police officer’s encounter some of the worst people in the world therefore; they require a resourceful method when suspects prove to be uncooperative or rebellious. Traditionally, police have used firearms, batons, oleoresin capsicum spray (O.C. spray), or physical force. Firearms are risky for everyone involved and most frequently lead to death. Batons are often seen as an excessive use of force and can lead to severe injuries. O.C. spray and physical force can compromise the officer’s safety and are not always effective. All of these issues have caused law enforcement agencies to look into the use of Tasers. Lt. James Clarke of the Smithfield police department states, “Using Tasers would be safer for both officers and suspects” (as cited by Chufo, 2008).

The fourth level is the hard-control technique. Typically, this level of force is used when the suspect is violence or threatening to the officer. Before the officer can even move forward with this level, it is presumed the previous levels of the continuum were considered useless. Tear gas can be used during this level, propelled or even hand thrown. Most officers are involved with pepper spray. When dealing with the pepper spray, acting as a defense weapon, the pepper spray needs to be focused on the suspects face for successful results. Though this type of technique may produce successful results for the officer, this type of technique can cause tissue damage or bone fractures, or even irritation to the skin and eyes.

Agency personnel must always consider the totality of the circumstances and always be able to articulate the justification of the use of force. Officer Lehman advised that Lopez had blood on him which did not appear to be his, there were civilians in the area that Lopez was running along with being near a “busy” street. With Lopez fleeing combined with a possible “violent crime” taking place Officer Lehman deployed his taser.