By Tom Moor
The South Bend Tribune
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — When in the hands of an officer, the Taser stun gun has proven to be an effective tool for fighting off bad guys, police say.
The shock that comes from the gun immobilizes the suspect long enough for authorities to move in and apprehend him.
But what happens when the bad guy is the one holding the gun?
Police are concerned that more citizens will soon have the guns in their homes. Taser International, the company that supplies the lion’s share of Tasers to police departments in the country, recently developed another model for consumers, called the Taser C2.
For about $300, anybody can own the gun that a company spokesman describes as having the same “stopping power and incapacitation power” as the one officers use. Although other Tasers have been on the market for years, police say this one, available just in the last few weeks, is the closest to what they use.
“I totally disagree with it,” said Lt. Scott Ruszkowski, a South Bend police officer and president of Fraternal Order of Police 36. “People have the right to bear arms, but this is something totally different.”
A danger to police?
The FOP and South Bend Police Department decided not to endorse the Taser gun for use among the public a couple of years ago, said Capt. Phil Trent, a spokesman for the South Bend Police Department.
In South Bend, a city ordinance passed three years ago makes it illegal for the public to carry one. People are allowed to have them in their home, Trent said.
Mishawaka and the rest of St. Joseph County do not have such ordinances, although St. Joseph County police Sgt. Matt Blank believes the issue is something those governments should look into. Blank is one of two Taser instructors for the St. Joseph County Police Department.
As a safety concern, police believe a suspect could easily shoot an officer with the Taser, which would allow the suspect to escape or, even worse, give the suspect a chance to grab the officer’s gun.
“It gives them control over an officer,” Trent said. “You lose muscle control when you’re hit by a Taser gun. I’d rather be hit in a fight or sprayed with pepper spray than hit with a Taser while I’m trying to make an arrest.
“It renders us pretty much helpless to use a weapon.”
Police also believe it would put civilian lives in danger. It would be much easier for a suspect with a Taser to rob someone or hurt them in a fight, police believe.
Ruszkowski said the best defenses people should have are an alarm system in their homes and defensive-tactics classes.
Home protection
Steve Tuttle, a spokesman for Taser International, says the company supplies about 65 percent of the Taser guns to police departments in the country.
The company started in 1994 by selling strictly to consumers. Since then, more than 155,000 Tasers have been sold to the public. But Tuttle says the company has re-focused its efforts to police departments.
Although he understands why some officers are concerned, Tuttle disagrees with their perceptions that the guns are dangerous in the hands of the public. He credits extensive background checks in ensuring the guns are placed in the hands of responsible citizens.
Whenever a civilian Taser is fired, confetti comes from the gun, which helps police match where it came from. Tuttle said that since the Taser went on the market, only six times have they been linked to crimes, and four of those have been solved using the confetti system.
Tuttle said it’s an “absolute shame” city ordinances are being passed to outlaw the public carrying the gun. He believes they aren’t nearly as dangerous as guns and knives.
“Anything on a police officers’ belt can be purchased by Americans,” he said. “And the one I view as the safest has been eliminated for self-protection (in South Bend). It’s the one that’s going to do the least amount of harm.”
Tuttle said the Taser is ideal for home protection: The guns have the “drive stun” ability, but its primary function is shooting the two wire probes.
“It truly incapacitates the body, so you have no control over movements,” he said. “When both probes make connection with the body, the electrocurrent causes the muscles to contract and you are unable to have movement.”
The models that police carry have a five-second incapacitation length, which usually gives them enough time to make an arrest. The civilian models can last up to 30 seconds, which Tuttle said is designed for a victim to be able to get away from an attacker.
A valuable tool for police
Although police have concerns about the public owning Tasers, officers believe the guns have worked wonders for them on the street.
Every South Bend and St. Joseph County patrol officer is issued a Taser.
Since South Bend police have been using them, officer and suspect injuries are down about 66 percent, Ruszkowski said. Trent said complaints against officers are low with the Taser, although statistics were unavailable.
Trent said officer discretion determines when the guns are used. Ruszkowski said the gun has limited the amount of foot pursuits and is helpful in breaking up large fights.
“It’s a great thing,” Ruszkowski said, “in the right hands.”
Copyright 2007 The South Bend Tribune