University police could soon be zapping perpetrators with 16 new
stun guns they purchased this year.
The new guns are hand-held Tasers, a weapon that slightly
resembles a regular gun, but only works at close range, firing two
electronic darts that stick to a person’s skin or
clothing.
University police and makers of the weapon tout the Tasers as
another tool officers can use before resorting to lethal force.
“We’ve provided the missing tool for the tool box
for the police officer who wants to stop somebody safely (from a
distance of) 21 feet or less,” Steve Tuttle, a spokesperson
from Taser International, said during an interview in May.
Lieutenant John Adams of UCPD said he hopes the Tasers reduce
injuries to both officers and perpetrators.
Adams said officers are trained to progressively increase their
force during incidents when necessary. An officer may start by
addressing someone with verbal commands, then progress to using
their hands and then move on to using the appropriate weapon. The
Tasers are another tool in the progression before an officer gets
to lethal force, Adams said.
The guns carry a price tag of nearly $800 each. With accessories
such as belt holsters and training darts, Adams said the Tasers
cost the department $22,000.
But despite the initial investment, Adams said the guns are
actually a cost-saving option because they help prevent lawsuits.
The guns digitally record every time they are fired and because
makers say they are non-lethal, they help prevent violence between
officers and suspects.
“This is a litigious society. One lawsuit far exceeds
$22,000. This is actually a fiscally responsible decision as
well,” Adams said.
Tuttle agreed and said most confrontations with police occur
within a 10-foot radius.
Nearly a year ago, university police officer Terrence Duren was
involved in a close-range combat situation in Kerckhoff Hall in
which Willie Davis Frazier, a homeless man, was shot twice.
Duren said he shot Frazier after he reached for the
officer’s gun during a physical confrontation.
Since the shooting, questions have risen during Frazier’s
trial as to whether the officer used excessive force during the
incident. It is this type of situation ““ one that can lead to
a lawsuit against the entire department ““ that Tuttle said
Tasers can help deter.
When the Tasers are fired, two electronic probes are released.
The probes are attached to the guns by 21 feet of thin wire and
send an electronic shock through the person, momentarily paralyzing
them.
Makers of the gun say the shock does no damage to the person hit
by the Taser, but allows the officer time to apprehend them.
Over 50 university and college police departments across the
state already use the Tasers, including USC and UC San Diego, Santa
Barbara, Irvine and Riverside.
Michael Lane, assistant chief of police at UC Riverside, said
his department has had around six Tasers for over two years, and
though officers have rarely used them, they have been
effective.
Lane said his department has not had any problems with the
guns.
“We’ve evolved a long way from the years when
we’ve first had officers out on the streets, when the only
things they had on their belt was a baton and a firearm,”
Lane said. “Technology has improved to a point where the
officer is getting better training and has more tools at their
disposal.”
Some people are worried about the Tasers because of allegations
that they can do long-term damage and have caused other disastrous
mistakes.
An officer in Madera shot someone in 2002 after she mistakenly
removed her firearm instead of her Taser.
Adams said he is aware of the horror stories, but that the
department is going to enact policies and provide enough training
to limit the possibility of it happening here.
Officers at UCLA have not yet been trained to use the Tasers,
but could begin training as early as January.
Adams said he and two other officers have to attend a training
seminar in Selma later this month before creating a training
regimen for the officers.