3 February, 2007

“This was an incident where the deputy felt his life was being threatened and rather than using a gun he used a Taser,” Sheriff Don Fleming said. “When you’ve got a guy bigger than you, waving a baton is like waving a feather at him and we don’t want to shoot a student.”

The Archuleta family questions why deadly force was used and not a Taser gun which fires a disabling electric shock.

This is why I’m in favor of [tag]Tasers[/tag] and other, safer alternatives than a gunshot wound to the head.
Yes, Tasers still have a potential to kill, like any weapon, but it’s still not that bad. It’s more likely to disable you and keep you from getting yourself killed by a regular firearm.

There’s an appropriate time for any weapon. If the officer’s pretty much in range, and you decide to charge him, yes, he can taser you. If he’s a hundred feet away and you’re waving a gun, then yeah, he can shoot you with his firearm, because the taser is OUT OF RANGE.

I’ve spoken with several officers who carry tasers in my city. For them to be able to carry their taser, they have to undergo training to use it. Part of their training is to know what to expect if a suspect manages to get the taser out of their hands and zaps them with it. These guys and gals know what fifty thousand volts feels like.

I’d rather not take a hit from any of the stuff they can use, but I’d prefer pepper spray or a taser to being shot and wounded by a firearm.