Police question safety of Tasers

Jen Lawson

Thursday, Feb. 17, 2005 | 11:02 a.m.

A major police chiefs association is urging police departments to review their use of Taser stun guns in light of reports that the weapons might have been factors in several deaths, but Las Vegas Valley police say they already do careful studies of each time a Taser is used.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Justice Department will also be studying the use of Tasers in 80 deaths as the safety of the devices are questioned.

Two people, who were found to be high on PCP, died in Las Vegas last year after Metro Police officers stunned them with 50,000 volts of electricity from a Taser.

Metro, North Las Vegas and Henderson Police said the IACP bulletin, expected to be issued within the next week, does not apply to them because they all have policies that require them to review Taser shootings.

In fact, Metro Police Assistant Sheriff Ray Flynn said that IACP has pointed to Metro as a department that has a sound Taser policy in place.

"I believe we are ahead of the curve," Flynn said.

After two people died after being shocked with Tasers last year, Metro altered its policy to prohibit officers from using Tasers on people who are handcuffed. The policy also discourages officers from holding the guns against the skin for multiple shocks.

The altered policy, which went into effect in November, also put in place a protocol for the review of Taser deployments.

After the Taser has been used, officers are required to download the data record of the weapon before the end of their shift. The area command supervisor must ensure that the data has been downloaded, that the use of force form is complete and that the information is sent to the internal affairs section to make sure the use was appropriate.

Sen. Joe Heck, R-Henderson, a doctor, advised police on medical concerns while the policy was being written, Flynn said.

In addition to already studying their Taser incidents, North Las Vegas Police are in the process of getting a doctor to look at all of their use of force cases on a consulting basis to determine if the force was justified from a medical standpoint, said Officer Tim Bedwell, North Las Vegas Police spokesman.

Likewise, Keith Paul, spokesman for Henderson Police, said every use of a Taser is examined closely "to make sure the Taser was used correctly and if the situation warranted it."

More than 80 deaths have been reported since 1999 after people were shocked with the stun guns, according to reviews by the Arizona Republic and Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The SCLC, an inter-faith activist group based in Atlanta, also asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to declare a moratorium on the weapon.

It's not clear if the Las Vegas deaths will be among the 80 or so cases that will be reviewed.

Officers were cleared of wrongdoing by coroner's inquest juries in both Las Vegas deaths. In one case a jury concluded that the Taser played a role in the death, basing the finding on a medical examiner's testimony.

Last week, the Chicago Police Department stopped distributing 100 additional Tasers to officers until it investigates the use of the device in two cases, including a 54-year-old man who later died.

Arizona-based Taser International on Tuesday said there was no scientific or medical evidence to suggest that Tasers are dangerous. The Securities and Exchange Commission has been investigating Taser's safety claims.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.