More Va. officers getting Tasers, usage low

In the first seven months since patrol officers began carrying Tasers, the weapons have been used to scare off a pack of dogs, stop a wanted man from jumping out of a fourth-floor window and subdue someone who threw a sword at police.

Officers have used the Tasers 11 times since the stun guns hit the streets in mid-March, said Officer Jimmy Barnes, a police spokesman. Officers stunned 10 people and attempted to stun a dog, he said.

That's fewer uses than Norfolk police recorded after they started carrying Tasers in February 2008. In the first seven weeks, they deployed the stun guns 20 times, according to police statistics.

Virginia Beach police supervisors reviewed each of the incidents and determined that officers used the Tasers appropriately, Barnes said. There have been no complaints about excessive force, he said.

Currently, 32 patrol officers carry Tasers, Barnes said. They've each completed a day of training and passed an exam. And 100 additional officers will soon strap on the stun guns, which can be used instead of pepper spray or a baton, Barnes said.

The department is ordering 100 new Tasers at a cost of roughly $123,000, he said. A grant is funding the purchase. The goal is to eventually outfit all patrol officers with Tasers. But with more than 600 uniformed patrol officers, it will take more time and money to accomplish that task, Barnes said.

"They're fabulous tools," he said. "It's great that we have a better way to protect ourselves."

The model X26 Tasers deliver a five -second, 50,000-volt shock that temporarily paralyzes a suspect's neuromuscular system. The shock is painful but doesn't have any lasting effects, said Officer Bryan Marshall, who runs the department's Taser training program.

The National Institute of Justice has ruled that "conducted energy devices" such as stun guns, are safe for use on healthy adults in most situations. Problems can arise if someone has a medical condition or receives multiple shocks.

That's why organizations such as Amnesty International USA oppose their use. The human-rights organization reports that more than 350 people have died nationwide after being Tasered, although there is no conclusive medical evidence citing stun guns as the direct cause of death.

So far, only one person shocked by Beach police has suffered an injury. In April, officers were attempting to arrest a wanted man hiding at his parents' home when the man threatened to jump out of a fourth-floor window, Barnes said. He made a move toward the window and police Tasered him to prevent him from jumping, he said.

The man fell and got a rug burn on his forehead, Barnes said.

"They could have saved his life," he added.

That same month, a pack of six dogs tried to attack two officers responding to a domestic dispute. An officer fired his Taser at one of the dogs and missed, but the sound scared them away and prevented anyone from being bitten, Barnes said.

The most recent use was last week when police responded to a resident's home after someone reported that he may try to hurt himself. When officers arrived, the resident became combative and tried to throw a sword at one of them, said Officer Margie Hobbs, a police spokeswoman. The police Tasered him and used dogs to take him into custody, she said.

Each of those situations may have ended worse without Tasers, Barnes said.

"The officers actually love them," he said. "They're able to take a situation and handle it very, very quickly before it escalates into further injury to an officer or to a citizen or to the person being arrested. "

Kathy Adams, (757) 222-5155, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com