Despite the controversy that continues to dog the use of Tasers
by law enforcement, local police say the stun guns have been an
extremely effective tool and often the mere threat of using them is
enough to stop a suspect in their tracks.
Hollister – Despite the controversy that continues to dog the use of Tasers by law enforcement, local police say the stun guns have been an extremely effective tool and often the mere threat of using them is enough to stop a suspect in their tracks.
“There’s a lot to it psychologically that has an effect on people, and that’s good, we want people not to resist,” said Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller. “People aren’t sure about them. They see this electrical thing, probes go out, the power jolt, your muscles stop working. I think that’s a terrifying thing, that total incapacitation. And from what I’ve been told, it hurts.”
San Benito County Sheriff’s deputies first strapped the stun guns to their sides about a year ago and have used the guns about 23 times, according to Undersheriff Pat Turturici. Hollister police officers have had their hands on them for about eight months, but only utilized them 11 times. Both departments also claim Tasers are responsible for stopping twice as many criminals without a single shot being fired and have cut down on officer-involved injuries.
“Since we put them into use it’s (injuries) almost zero,” Turturici said. “We don’t have deputies getting injured from getting into altercations.”
But media reports continue to surface across the country concerning people dying after being shot by a Taser, and whether the shock from a Taser contributed to their death. A Santa Cruz man incarcerated at the Santa Cruz County Jail died Sunday after being shot with a Taser, however an autopsy revealed he died from a lack of oxygen due to restraint by correction officers, not by the Taser jolt.
Miller said any time a new weapon is included in police officers’ arsenals, controversy ensues and eventually dies down, which he believes will happen with Tasers.
“Part of what’s controversial is that it’s still new. When pepper spray came out, people were up in arms,” Miller said. They’re (Tasers) a good tool in the tool box, but they’re not the only tool.”
Over the past eight months, while Hollister police have deployed a Taser about 11 times – either shooting a suspect from a distance of up to 21 feet or stunning them up close – officers have simply threatened to use a Taser on a suspect 23 times and the person complied without further resistance, according to Capt. Bob Brooks.
In an approximately one year period, San Benito County Sheriff’s deputies have shot a suspect with a Taser 23 times on patrol, and about five or six times inside the county jail, Turturici said. While sheriff’s deputies have deployed Tasers twice as often as Hollister police officers, the deputies have had them longer and Turturici said all were warranted.
Turturici also said the ratio of deputies shooting suspects with a Taser and the threat of Taser use diffusing a situation was approximately two to one, which he also believes is due to a fear factor and because, “People don’t want to get electrocuted.”
Turturici said deputies most often use a Taser when a suspect is fleeing from police, has attempted or succeeded in physically striking an officer, or is threatening some type of violence, he said.
One such instance in June involved a Watsonville man on methamphetamine who had stripped his clothes off and set them on fire, and was perched on top of a residential propane tank, threatening to blow it up. Deputies shot the man from about 20 feet away with a Taser and were able to get him away from the propane tank and take him into custody.
Although Brooks didn’t have statistics available on how often force was used to take someone into custody before receiving the Tasers, he estimated Hollister police had to use hands-on force a comparable number of times in the past to restrain someone.
In instances where a Taser has been used, Brooks said in the past some type of physical hold to restrain a suspect, or possibly pepper spray, a baton or handgun, would have been used instead. Although not common, Tasers have malfunctioned several times since the department received them. In those instances, another officer armed with a Taser backed up the officer with the malfunctioning weapon.
“Any time a Taser is used the officer had to resort to some type of force,” he said. “Otherwise the Taser wouldn’t have been used.”
About four months ago, Hollister Police Sgt. James Egan used a Taser to incapacitate a suicidal man in the parking lot of Westside Liquors on San Juan Road. The 61-year-old Hollister man attempted to fire a round from a .38 caliber revolver into his temple, however the gun didn’t fire, according to police. While the man was waiving the gun around, Egan shot him with the Taser several times and police were able to disarm him without anyone involved being injured.
Miller focused on the possibility that the incident could have escalated into an officer-involved shooting.
“They’ve saved injuries, they saved a life at least once, and I’m very proud of the officers because they’ve used them judiciously,” he said.
Officers are required to clearly outline in a written report how and why a Taser was used on a suspect, which is reviewed by a supervisor, who reports the incident to the captain, who reports to Miller. Miller has the final say in determining whether the officer used appropriate discretion when firing the stun gun, he said. He said there hasn’t been an incident yet where an officer used a Taser unnecessarily.
“If a Taser is used out of policy we’d initiate an internal investigation into inappropriate use of force,” he said.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
