Just the Threat of Using Electronic Stunning Devices Helps, Officers Say
By Ben Aguirre Jr., The Oakland Tribune (Oakland, Calif.)
FREMONT, Calif. -- Within the first five days after they began carrying Tasers, Fremont police used them twice to subdue suspects.
Since then, cops say, all they’ve had to do was show the weapon to suspects and they’ve given up.
“It’s proven to be a good psychological weapon,” Detective Bill Veteran said. “When we deploy them, people are complying.”
Last month, the Fremont Police Department issued more than 150 Tasers to its officers. During that time, they’ve used the less-lethal weapons six times, including two incidents in which suspects have been stunned.
On Sept. 18 -- the first day officers began carrying the Taser -- authorities stunned a 36-year-old Fremont man armed with knives as he sat in his truck in the Kaiser hospital parking lot, police said.
When police arrived, the man was waving the knives around and refusing to surrender, police said. Two officers shot the man with Tasers, shocking him long enough for police to detain him. A search of the vehicle turned up three knives and a replica .22-caliber pistol, police said.
On Sept. 23, an officer stunned a man during a car stop when the man became agitated about having to give his identification, Veteran said.
During the stop, the man began walking away from the officer. When the officer put his hand on the man’s shoulder, he became combative, Veteran said, prompting the officer to use the Taser.
“On each occasion, the suspect had been taken into custody without anybody being hurt,” Veteran said.
On four other occasions, suspects became combative, and on one occasion tried to evade police. But once the officer pulled the Taser out of the holster, the person surrendered, Veteran said.
“Any of these scenarios could have escalated into a situation where other types of force could have been used.”
Officers have not reported any problems with the weapons and no changes are scheduled to be made to the Taser program, he said.
Police Chief Craig Steckler was pleased with the results of the first month and called the program a success.
But the department knows the program is in its infancy and will make modifications if necessary, he said.
“We’ll continue (to see) what goes on around the country with Tasers,” Steckler said.