Miami Herald - October 13, 2004
Wanda J. Demarzo, wdemarzo@herald.com

After a three-month trial late last year, Broward sheriff's deputies are getting Tasers -- the controversial stun gun that incapacitates by shooting electrically charged darts into an unruly subject.

The two darts remain connected to the Taser by a wire at a distance of up to 21 feet. The target is immobilized for up to five seconds as the pulsing voltage interferes with signals sent from the brain to the central nervous system.

The weapon will help deputies to subdue suspects or other people who are trying to hurt themselves or others.

Taser International loaned BSO 18 Tasers in September 2003 for a 90-day test period.

Ninety-five deputies were trained to use the weapons.

The BSO training coordinator, Sgt. Wallace Haywood, recommended in a January memo that BSO implement using Tasers.

"This weapon has proven effective and will reduce injuries to deputies as well as subjects that violently resist arrest," Haywood wrote.

"All research indicates the weapon to be safe and effective."

He said Tasers provide an alternative to a firearm when dealing with a violent person.

Recently, an Oakland Park deputy shot and killed a thief who stole a bottle of Smirnoff ice from a convenience store after the two became entangled in a physical confrontation.

And in June, a BSO sergeant said his deputies needed Tasers after two of them were cut while trying to subdue an HIV-positive suspect.

Both men were exposed to the suspect's blood, saliva and other bodily fluids, according to Sgt. Robert Freshwaters' injury report.

The suspect was tested and proved to be HIV positive.

In his June 5 report, Freshwaters wrote that Tasers should be issued to all qualified personnel in order to prevent further injuries.

On Oct. 4, Lt. Col. Thomas Brennan, who oversees countywide services, including the training division, received Haywood's January memo recommending the Tasers.

The devices were ordered, and on Oct. 6, BSO received 381 of the weapons at a cost of $1,039 each. That price includes holsters, cartridges and battery packs.

Training is expected to start in November.

Local commanders will be in charge of distributing the weapons.

Though Tasers are marketed to police agencies as a safer way of subduing suspects, an international human rights group has concerns about them.

Amnesty International claims that at least 50 deaths have been linked to Tasers since 1999.

The group has called for a "thorough, independent and impartial evaluation of the medical effects of electroshock weapons."

But Taser International spokesman Steve Tuttle said he knows of no case in which an autopsy has attributed a death to a Taser.

Tasers are equipped with a recording device installed in the weapons that show how many times the weapon was discharged and where, thereby eliminating any claims of abuse.

"Tasers save lives every day. Medical experts studying Taser devices have concluded that they are among the safest means to subdue violent individuals who could harm law enforcement officers, innocent citizens or themselves," Tuttle said, spokesman for Taser International.

"We believe in the life-saving value of Taser technology."

041013
MH041006

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2004. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .