Police Training Unit

Taser Overview
Spring 2008
Slides with this background contain data from Taser International.

Slides without this logo contain information from other resources –

such as agencies, medical or university studies, or published reports.
Taser: What it does…
The Taser is a hand held device that delivers
50,000 volts of electricity to the skeletal
muscle system
This energy discharge over-rides the natural
control of muscles, forcing them into a state
of “electro-muscular disruption”
The target’s skeletal muscles – those that
allow walking and fighting – lock up with the
current, and the subject generally falls to the
ground
Traditional Stun Systems
◼ Jam the Central Nervous System with
electrical noise
◼ Affects the Sensory Nervous System

◼ Provides only PAIN compliance

EMD
◼ Jams and overrides the Central Nervous
System
 Causes uncontrollable contractions of the
muscle tissue (skeletal muscles) – no action on
cardiac or respiratory muscle
◼ Affects both Sensory and Motor Nervous
System
◼ Does not rely on pain alone
Taser: The Controversy
Amnesty International reports over 200
deaths following application of Taser or
similar stun weapons.
◼ Amnesty International does admit, publicly,
that they have NOT done any follow up for
the final, published cause of death in these
cases.
◼ Published studies are available on the
medical aspects of Taser, and a study is in
progress to review many of the deaths.
Taser: Organizational Positions
The International Association of Chiefs
of Police (IACP) has prepared a
recommended 9-step deployment plan
for agencies considering Taser
The National Organization of Black Law
Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) has
adopted a resolution supporting less
lethal technology, and specifically
mentions the use of Taser.
Why are agencies using the
Taser?
Officers Injured while
Arresting Offenders
More direct encounters with individuals under
the influence of mind altering drugs
Our primary way of dealing with these
offenders is either hands on, or with weapons
that have become less effective with these
offenders.
The result is officers being injured trying to
take these people into custody.
 Designed to Avoid
Hands-on Contact
with Violent Suspects
Effective Target Zones

Chemical TASER Firearms

Agents Energy
Weapon
What have other Cities done?
More and More cities have turned to the
Taser Officer Safety System.
Taser ECDs are on the same level of force as
OC spray.
Taser International reports there have been
no verifiable deaths as a result of taser use.
Users report arrestees injuries decrease after
tasers are introduced.
 2007 Eastern Virginia Regional Taser Survey

Data as of July 30, 2007 == Updated May 2009

frontline deployment
Change/Purchasing

Supervisors Only
Not Considering

Decided Against

Full deployment
Reviewing Data

Select / limited
SpecOps Only
First Line
Policy
Agency Name Type # Sworn
Chesterfield County Police LE 450 XX
Portsmouth Police LE 250 XX <==
Hampton Police Division LE 295 XX
Norfolk Police Department LE 767 XX ==> ==> XX
Riverside Regional Jail COR 230 XX
Western Tidewater Regional Jail COR 132 XX
James City County Police LE 190 XX
Newport News Sheriff's Office CS, CP 172 XX
Virginia Beach Police Department LE 817 XX ==> XX
Smithfield Police Department LE 21 XX
Old Dominion University Police LE 44 XX
Williamsburg Police Department LE 40 XX ==> XX
Chesapeake Sheriff's Office CO,CS,CP 350 XX
Sussex Sheriff's Office All 37 XX
What are the results?
TASER Programs Save
Costs & Lives
Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority
(MMRA) Study:
• 40+ agencies
• 432 TASER system deployments
• 1 injury
• 0 claims related to the TASER system
• TASER systems reduced excessive force
litigation by 54%
• MMRA reimburses agencies for TASER
purchases
Phoenix PD Field Results
First Top 10 City to Deploy to All
Patrol Officers

Officer Injuries Suspect Injuries

67% 50%
80%
Risks and Medical Issues
Taser Linked to Deaths
Amnesty International, and other media
outlets, periodically report that subjects have
died following application of Taser
All “wrongful death” and all “product liability”
lawsuits against Taser have been dismissed
Numerous studies already published on
health and safety issues
DoJ has not launched a study or investigation
into Taser, or Taser-related deaths
NIJ is funding a “look-back” study on Taser-
related deaths, publication expected late
2008-09
Risks
Nearly everyone Tasered will fall
◼ Risk of facial or head lacerations, loose
teeth, bruising
◼ Risk of spinal injuries or head trauma from
the fall (impact)
Penetrating injury from probes
◼ Similar to getting caught by a fish hook
◼ Face and neck are “red zone” targets as a
result
Injury Profile of TASER Electrical
Conducted Energy Weapons
Study funded by the Department of Justice – National
Institute of Justice
Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Dr.
William Bozeman, et al.
2 year review of 962 Taser applications, 2005-2007
Only 3 persons (0.3%) sustained moderate or severe
nonfatal injuries that required hospitalization. 216
persons had mild (abrasions, cuts) injuries
99.7% of study group had either no injuries or mild
injuries
There were 2 in-custody deaths in this study group.
After investigation and autopsy, both deaths were
determined to be unrelated to the Taser.
Deaths in American Police Custody
Dr. Jeffrey Ho, et al., University of
Minnesota, Hennepin Medical Center
News media based review of 12 month
period – reported in-custody deaths
Conclusions:
◼ In-custody death appears to occur within
60 minutes when impact weapons are used
◼ In-custody death appears to never occur
instantaneously when a Taser device is
used
Deaths following Electro-muscular
Distruption

The premiere NIJ study currently in

progress
Looking specifically at known deaths
following Taser application
Interim report may be out summer
2008, final publication will be summer
2009
Periodic telephone contact with NIJ
 Safety: Pacemakers

• Modern pacemakers withstand electrical

defibrillators several hundred times
stronger than TASER conducted energy
pulses
 Medical Safety: Drugs
• The ADVANCED TASER X26 EMD was applied
directly to the chest of test animals during tests at the
University of Missouri without heart failure
• Using “worst case” scenarios, two cardiac safety
experts found no interference by the X26 weapon with
the heart rhythms
• No interference occurred when the animal subjects
were given dangerous drugs (epinephrine and drugs
similar to PCP and cocaine) that make the heart more
susceptible to electrical stimulation
• Animal studies prove cocaine does not make the
heart more susceptible to electrically induced
fibrillation
What TASER Weapons Don’t do
Does not damage nervous tissue
Does not cause serious burns
Does not cause “electrocution” in a wet
environment
No reports of TASER weapons causing death
Electrical output not harmful to fetus (but
consider secondary injuries from the fall)
Generally does not cause urination or
defecation
TASER Technology Medical Safety
Extensive animal testing has shown no effect on heart
rhythms or blood pressure
50,000 human volunteers as of 1/04
99% instant incapacitation in less than a second with no
long-term effects
Subjects may experience minor skin irritation, temporary
blisters, redness or minor bleeding if probes puncture
skin
Human tests (volunteers – Dr. Ho, University of
Minnesota) also indicated no adverse effect on human
heart, lungs, blood chemistry, or liver functions.
Legals
Is Taser a “deadly force” weapon?
◼ Better question: is Taser likely to cause
death or serious physical injury?
◼ Police OPR-1
 Deadly Force: (in part) “any force applied in any manner, by any
means, which could reasonably be expected to cause death or serious
physical injury”

 Serious physical Injury: injury which creates a substantial risk of

death or which is likely to cause serious, permanent disfigurement or
loss of any body member or organ

◼ Answer: No
Legals
Like all force tactics and devices, use of electronic control
weapons creates liability risks. The more critical question is
how the amount and type of risk created compares to the
risk reduced or eliminated. For example, if tasing someone,
as it is sometimes known, creates substantial risk of
serious injury but eliminates the need to shoot and kill that
person, the risk of tasing obviously would be worth taking.
If tasing creates substantial risk of serious injury but does
not substantially reduce any serious risks, the tasing
generally would be inappropriate, possibly illegal, and likely
to increase liability exposures. Because the touchstone of
use-of-force law is reasonableness, the risk-to-reward ratio
is crucial. --Randy Means, JD
IACP Nine Step Deployment
Step 1: Build Leadership Team
Step 2: Place EMD on Use-of-Force
Step 3: Assess Costs and Benefits
Step 4: Identify Roles & Responsibilities
Step 5: Engage in Community Outreach
Step 6: Develop Policy / Procedure
Step 7: Create Training Program
Step 8: Phased Deployment
Step 9: Assess EMD use and determine next
steps
Costs associated with Taser
Instructor Training:
◼ Must be renewed every two years
◼ $295 for initial certification
◼ $95 for recertification
User Training:
◼ Tuition free – will be conducted internally
Materials:
◼ Minimum 3 cartridges per student ($18/ea)
Costs associated with Taser
Base X-26: $810
TaserCam: $400
Holster: included in base, additional $70/ea
Download Station: $150 (recommend 4-6)
Cleaning Kit: $60 (recommend 4-6)
Training cartridge: $18
21 foot cartridge: $20
25 foot cartridge: $23 (extra penetration)
35 foot cartridge: $26 (tactical use)
Quote / Computation form available