By Ronnie Moore, Staff Writer
Chattanooga Times Free Press
Fort Oglethorpe police began training Tuesday with $36,000 worth of Tasers fitted with video cameras, which officials said are designed to protect police and the public both physically and legally.
Lts. Gary McConathy and John McGrath took jolts from the units during the training, and each was recorded by the attached camera.
Lt. McConathy said the cameras are designed to record events before and during an incident.
Two dozen Fort Oglethorpe officers got their first training on the units -- which cost $800 for the Taser and $400 for the cameras that fit below the hand grip.
The Fort Oglethorpe City Council approved the $36,000 expenditure last year to guarantee a record is preserved whenever the units are deployed.
“If you’ve ever touched a 110-volt outlet, then you have an idea of how it feels,” Lt. McConathy said after receiving 50,000 volts from a Taser probe fired by Lt. Steve Blevins. “I felt the charge from below the neck down to the heels of both my feet.”
Police Chief Larry Black said six pages have been added to the department’s procedures manual regarding the deployment and authorized use of force, including Tasers.
When the City Council agreed in November to equip all officers with the units, some people were surprised.
“The council approved purchasing the Tasers because they are not lethal,” Mayor Judd Burkhart said.
“This is another tool for law enforcement,” he said. “It provides for the safety of the officer, community and any suspect. The cameras record what took place.”
Officers held Lts. McGrath and McConathy by their arms to ease their fall to mats placed on the floor to cushion the impact.
“Wooooooah,” Lt. McGrath moaned as he sat on the mats recovering. He said he had experienced “extreme pain, but when it’s over it’s over.”
Lt. McConathy said he had no lingering effects, and it was important to get experience.
“There is a need to test and train for officers to know accurate procedures,” he said. “The audio and video from the camera is valuable in court to show everything that happened.”
Lt. Blevins said he used a cartridge with a probe attached to 15 feet of wire.
“What we will use will have a 25-foot line,” he said. “Officers should take the removed probe, wire and tiny discs and place them in an evidence bag.”
He said the discs, smaller than punch holes for metal notebook binders, are called “afids” and have a serial number that matches the serial number on the cartridge.
“The camera is activated when the Taser unit power is turned on, even if the Taser shock is not deployed,” Lt. Blevins said. “The camera can run for 90 minutes and is valuable in showing what happened before and when a suspect is Tased.”
Chief Black said if an officer doesn’t have time to handcuff a suspect before he or she recovers from the cartridge probe shock, there is a backup device.
“With the cartridge out, the Taser can be placed against the skin where a drive stun with two prongs can be used,” he said.
The chief said officers may remove the probe that penetrates the skin in nonsensitive areas.
“If the probe is in such sensitive areas as the neck, head or groin, officers are to transport the individual to the hospital for removal,” he said.
Copyright 2007 Chattanooga Publishing Company