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Are Officers Abusing Taser Guns?

WTOC 11 Savannah GA

2007-09-24

Are Officers Abusing Taser Guns?

How far should a police officer go to arrest someone? Aside from deadly force, some departments are using Tasers that hit their target with a powerful electrical shock, but are they too much? Some cases raising questions.

The video of an Ohio woman being Tasered over and over again by a police officer has everyone talking. The question many are asking, when should officers use a Taser?

Just two weeks later another incident, officers Tasered a University of Florida student. The student begs officers not to Taser him but because he's still resisting they do anyway.

All Garden City police officers have Taser guns. In fact, Garden City police officer, Corporal Phillip Green used his Friday afternoon. Green was chasing after a possible shoplifter when the suspect pulled a knife out from his belt. Green ordered him to drop it, but when the suspect refused Green Tasered him, ending the chase and arresting the suspect.

Without a Taser, this incident could have turned into a shooting.

While Green used his Taser appropriately, what happened to the Ohio woman is still open debate. We sat down with Garden City Police Chief David Lyons as he watched the video. This is what he had to say about it, "I don't like this whole situation at all. It almost looks like he's playing with her, enjoying it."

Chief Lyons says he wasn't there so he doesn't know all the circumstances surrounding the incident, but based on the video he believes the officers didn't have to Taser her. "She's not a very large female. There's much larger males around her that could have easily taken control of her."

As for the Florida student, Lyons said it happened in a confined area and the student could have overpowered the officers and grabbed the officer's gun. "See this guy is an older guy. He's got an arm bar and he's struggling and his partner is a smaller female," said Lyons. He goes on to say, "This guy is doing the Tasering, I'm not sure why he's not trying to help get control, but I still say they were probably justified."

So far Garden City has had no problems with their Taser guns and still believes they are one of the best tools they have. "In the majority of the cases not all of the cases if the officer hadn't had the Taser or chose another avenue it would be worse."

Chief Lyons also adds that all his officers are Tasered themselves before issued a Taser gun, that way they know exactly what it feels like.

Savannah Chatham Police do not have Taser guns, but are looking into getting them.

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