| pookie |
10-05-2007 04:35 AM |
When a taser is deployed the ideal place for it to strike the individual is in the upper torso. The barbs which look like straightened fish hooks, are meant to grab hold of skin or clothing so that the charge can pass through the individual. Most law enforcement tasers the M26 or the X26 have cut off switches so you can stop the length of the shock. But they do not have the ability to reduce the intensity unless they are low on battery power. The normal length of a taser charge or shock is 5 seconds, but like I said they can be cut off early.
I was fortunate enough to be in law enforcement a few years ago right before the craze took off. My agency at the time felt that like pepper spray an officer should experience a taser shock if he wanted to use one. The reasoning behind that was if you went to court after having to deploy a taser you could explain why you used that much force. For example: "I have experienced a taser shock and I know it incapacitated me. Therefore I knew it would incapacitate the suspect long enough for him to be taken into custody." They did the same thing with pepper spray. My only comment on it was I don't have to get shot with my pistol to carry that, why do I have to get shot with a taser. Ha.
Actually I volunteered to get shot, full length, barbs and all. And then later sit in a daisy chain with it. That is where they tape the taser cords to each end of a string a people locked arm to arm (imagine protestors). And the charge passes through each person in the chain, thus causing them to unlock their arms and be taken into custody.
I always get the “What was it like?” With the bars it was pretty good, not only do you get the taser shock, you also get the impact of the barbs. The barbs left two little holes and bruises on my back. But if you have ever had a muscle cramp say in your leg where you can't move it? And you lay there just holding your leg trying not to move, trying not to breath, all tensed up and just praying it goes away? That is what getting shot with a taser feels like except it is all over your body, it’s like your whole body had one large muscle cramp.
Yes getting shot with a taser can cause you to pee or crap your pants. Even when you know the taser is coming it just causing all your muscles to contract at one time so... It happened to one of the guys at my old department.
This said though I know a taser saved one life. Guy came at my partner and I with a knife, which is a deadly force situation, we both initially, drew down on him. He stopped, I switched from my side arm to my taser and deployed it against him. Stoned him like a fish, straight legged him and he went down. In a different incident though I deployed the taser as a stun gun, using it without barbs just sticking it on someone like you would a stun gun, and it had no effect on him. The guy it had no effect on was hopped up on oxycotin (sp) and was feeling no pain at that moment.
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