DO COPS NEED TO BE TASERED BEFORE BEING ISSUED TASERS? (2)

I also posted ‘Do Cops Need To Be Tasered Before Being Issued Tasers?’ (12-12-11) on PACOVILLA Corrections blog. Here are some of the responses made on Paco’s blog:

WDC says: Getting tasered for “training” is really a cool idea, but-I’ve seen a few real life deployments of tasers where the taser for whatever reason did not produce the desired outcome. If you get tased and think everyone you tase will have the same response, you’re behind the power curve, same for firearms. The target may be dead, not know it and keep on going for long enough to hurt somebody. Assumed effect or compliance can get you hurt.

pacovilla replies: One point of disagreement: Getting tazed for training is NOT a cool idea. KL is correct, the Work Comp claims will rise because people will get hurt.

pacovilla says: Being one of countless idiots who volunteered to be shot with the latest Taser, I would say it is a terrible idea. Even though I suffered no long term side effects, I had several weird instances of short term memory loss in the week following. Beyond that, Tasers DO carry the potential to kill, unlike CS or OC which many agencies expose trainees to. I guess the most compelling argument against requiring trainee-tazing is the fact Taser Inc. reps will not allow a person to be tazed in a demo without signing a 2 page medical release. Surely that should give pause to trainers.

Lone Wolf says: I had to be tasered in training but never shot or had to take full contact baton strikes. It was like the worst cramp ever from head to toe. Oh yeah I’ve been exposed to CN, CS, and OC just like everybody else. Anybody had the baton round I heard it was a heart breaker.

kl2008a says: If they start requiring cops (street cops or tier cops) to get tasered during training to use the device I can see the Worker’s Comp claims rise significantly. Let’s hope that none of our brother or sister cops die during what would be labeled a s a “training mishap”, though I know the statistics, and we will see a few (maybe more). On a lighter side, they’ll need some jazzy music to do “the chicken” by.