Chiefs urge stun-gun review
By Kevin Johnson
USA Today
WASHINGTON — The largest association of police chiefs will issue a national bulletin within 10 days urging police departments to review the use of stun guns because of reports that the weapons may be related to numerous deaths.
Associated press library photo
The International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Justice Department also will study more than 80 deaths to assess the risks in using the weapons, the group said yesterday.
Honolulu and Maui police began using stun guns, which emit electrical charges, last year.
The actions come as civil-rights groups and some police agencies question the use of stun guns, or Tasers, which emit electrical charges to temporarily incapacitate suspects. Honolulu and Maui police began using Tasers last year.
More than 80 deaths have been reported since 1999 after victims were shocked with stun guns, according to reviews by The Arizona Republic and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The SCLC, an interfaith activist group based in Atlanta, also asked U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to declare a moratorium on the weapon.
Honolulu police began using Tasers in May as part of a federally financed pilot program after the Legislature legalized their use for law-enforcement officials in 2001.
Police have said the Tasers have worked well here. Attempts to reach police officials for comment yesterday were unsuccessful.
Maui police bought two dozen of the hand-held weapons for a pilot project and began using them Oct. 16. Maui Police Chief Tom Phillips was on the Mainland and could not be reached yesterday. But Phillips previously was quoted supporting their use despite reported problems.
"We hope it's an equalizer," he said in July. "Most of the suspects our officers confront are bigger, stronger and under the influence of something. We hope it reduces officer injuries and saves lives."
In late December, Maui police reported no injuries in 29 instances in which officers deployed the electric stun guns.
Some have questioned their use, however.
In a letter last August to Phillips and Honolulu Police Chief Boisse Correa, ACLU legal director Lois Perrin said Tasers should be used only when lethal force would be justified. These are incidents in which a suspect "poses a threat to human life or safety in situations otherwise requiring deadly force," Perrin said.
Perrin said the ACLU supports the "exploration" of non-lethal weapons as an alternative to firearms, but said police departments need to develop a stricter policy on when officers can use Tasers. She said HPD's policy allows officers to use Tasers in response to "passive resistance" and nonviolent situations.
In a one-sentence statement in response to the letter, Honolulu police said in August, "We respect the ACLU comments and are looking into the concerns contained in the letter."
Arizona-based Taser International is the dominant manufacturer of stun guns. The company has sold 130,000 stun guns to 7,000 of the 16,000 police agencies across the country. Taser President Tom Smith defended the product yesterday. "There was no scientific or medical evidence to suggest that these are dangerous devices," he said. "I believe this is the safest option for the use of force by police officers."
The Securities and Exchange Commission has been investigating Taser's safety claims.
Last week, the Chicago Police Department halted distribution of 100 additional Tasers to officers until it investigates the use of the device to restrain two people, including a 54-year-old man who later died.
John Firman, research director for the police chiefs, said the group's 20,000 members are not calling for a moratorium. Despite recent questions about safety, the stun gun still has broad support among police chiefs, Firman said.
Tasers became popular in recent years as an alternative to using guns to stop suspects.
Advertiser Staff Writer Tim Hurley contributed to this report.
