As I arrived at Axon Week 2025, I had a solid idea of what to expect based on the agenda and materials provided in advance. Yet the event far exceeded those expectations – going well beyond TASER energy weapons, drones, real-time crime centers (RTCCs), camera systems and robotics I’d seen at previous shows.
TASER 10 was designed to give officers more time and opportunities to safely resolve threats – creating distance and reducing the need for lethal force. But as any officer knows, not every situation unfolds as planned. What truly caught me off guard at Axon Week was a shift in how agencies are preparing for those unpredictable, close-quarters engagements where time and space are limited. It’s a paradigm shift in defensive tactics – one I hadn’t anticipated since attending Axon Week 2024 in Miami – highlighted across breakout sessions, the keynote series and an ever-evolving exhibition hall.
During the keynote, it was refreshing to see Axon expand from a purely tech-centric focus to include real-world, hands-on training scenarios for frontline officers. The physical demonstration of a close-quarters engagement with TASER 10 during a general session, led by Axon CEO Rick Smith and Norwegian police officer and researcher Espen Dahlen-Lervåg, captivated an audience of nearly 2,000 mostly law enforcement professionals.
Espen Dahlen-Lervåg is far from your average police officer or academic. With deep expertise in use-of-force dynamics, policing and research – and thousands of hours of training as a mixed martial arts (MMA) practitioner – he brings a rare combination of operational experience and academic rigor.
One detail that immediately caught my eye during the demonstration was the placement of Dahlen-Lervåg’s TASER 10: front-mounted on his duty belt. He explained how this setup offered a tactical advantage during close-quarters grappling, where accessing a firearm might be impractical or impossible. Through a series of simulated encounters, Dahlen-Lervåg demonstrated how this positioning allowed him to maintain control and deploy TASER 10 effectively – even while engaged physically with a suspect.
Research-informed training
After the demo, I spoke with Dahlen-Lervåg about his ongoing research, which adopts a triangular approach to studying TASER energy weapon use: combining quantitative analysis of use-of-force data, qualitative interviews with officers and experimental trials. He has recently submitted this research for peer review and hopes to publish it soon.
A key finding, he said, aligns with previous studies: Simplicity is critical. Effective TASER energy weapon deployment and retention rely on straightforward, easily repeatable training techniques. You can find some of his published work through the links on his contact page.
Weapon positioning and accessibility
Naturally, I asked about the risks of placing the TASER energy weapon in front of the body – making it more accessible not just to the officer, but potentially to a suspect as well. While Dahlen-Lervåg’s fighting experience and physical conditioning give him an edge, he emphasized that retention techniques must be simple and trainable for officers, regardless of their fitness or combat skills.
In the video below, Dahlen-Lervåg demonstrates how hip flexibility and muscle memory help in both retaining and deploying a TASER energy weapon under stress in close-quarters situations. He also emphasized the need for frequent, realistic training to prevent confusion between lethal and less-lethal options, especially in high-pressure situations.
For officers regularly dealing with unpredictable and volatile situations, this session was an eye-opener. It challenged traditional notions of force engagement and highlighted how small changes in equipment placement and tactical training can make a big difference. Axon’s training programs remain deeply rooted in research, but as this session showed, there’s room for new perspectives and approaches, particularly from experts like Espen Dahlen-Lervåg.
His contributions offer a thoughtful, evidence-based path forward in enhancing officer safety, equipment effectiveness and the practical application of the latest TASER energy weapon in law enforcement.
About Espen Dahlen-Lervåg
Espen Dahlen-Lervåg is a training coordinator and national lead on conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) in Norway. At the Norwegian Police University College (PolitiHøgskolen), he oversees combatives/use-of-force education and tactical specialization. His academic background includes an MBA focused on emerging technologies in tactical training, and he is currently pursuing an associate professorship in physical force and CEWs.
His research interests include:
- Simplicity in threat management: Do we really need a wide range of force options?
- Technological innovation: CEWs as a viable alternative to firearms.
- Trust through training: Building officer confidence through realistic andhonest training environments.
