JAY – Jay police will be trained to use a Taser, a non-lethal, electronic neuromuscular device that temporary incapacitates a suspect by locking certain muscles to help police quell a potentially dangerous situation.

A Taser can temporarily incapacitate a person as far away as 35 feet by immediately stopping coordinated action while the Taser’s current is flowing, according to Taser.com. That includes immobilizing a suspect who can overcome pain, might be on dangerous drugs like cocaine, or someone who is emotionally disturbed without hurting the person or the officer.

Police officer Russell Adams, a certified Taser instructor, is hoping to train officers July 26 so they can start using the devices Aug. 1.

“It allows you to take control of the subject without them resisting,” Adams said. “They’re not able to resist and generally they will drop to the ground.”

The Taser stun guns Jay police will use are equipped with audio and video recorders to record each event and they can be used for prosecution in court or by anyone claiming a civil liability against the police department, Chief Larry White Sr. said Friday.

“There are police departments that have been using them for a while They’re tried and tested in the state of Maine for sometime,” White said.

Among the more than 11,000 law enforcement agencies using Tasers nationwide are Farmington. Brunswick and Auburn police departments.

“When dealing with hostile or confrontational individuals rather than officers having to do hands-on with a physical altercation, this is far better because neither the officer nor the suspect have to become physical with each other, which results in no injury to the officer and most likely no injury to the suspect,” White said.

There will be a written policy on the use of the Tasers that will be part of the training, he said.

Copy the Story Link