ELYRIA – Two years ago, the Elyria Police Department bought 10 Tasers, but the weapons were never issued to officers, and the department is now looking to sell them to help finance the purchase of rifles that would be kept in patrol cars.

Police Chief Duane Whitely said concerns about liability and recommendations about how Tasers – which allow officers to shoot prongs attached to the Taser by wires that carry a charge of electricity designed to subdue a suspect – should be used in the field led him to the decision.

“These recommendations were very limiting, so we decided not to put them out,” he said.

Last year, a Taser International training bulletin advised police not to target the chest area when shooting a Taser at a suspect, but the company has said that recommendation was made so police could avoid controversies rather than because of a belief that Tasers can lead to cardiac arrest.

Critics argue that Tasers can cause medical problems, including heart attacks, which can lead to a suspect’s death, particularly when the Taser is fired at a suspect’s chest. Amnesty International, which attributes more than 350 deaths since 2001 to Tasers, has urged police departments to stop using the weapons.

The company has successfully defended itself from 100 lawsuits involving its products, according to its Web site.

Whitely said he believes his officers would be better served by having rifles available to them – in addition to the .40-caliber semiautomatic pistols officers carry and shotguns currently kept in cruisers. He said his officers have been encountering more powerful firearms on the streets, and he doesn’t want his officers outgunned.

“I like the idea of our officers having this option,” he said.

Officer Tom Baracskai, president of the Elyria police union, said Tasers can be effective at dealing with combative suspects in certain situations. Similar concerns arose about the use of pepper spray years ago, Baracskai said, but as with Tasers, that seemed to have more to do with underlying medical conditions than the weapons themselves.

“It would be a great tool to have, but I understand the legal liability reasons,” he said.

Sheriff’s Capt. John Reiber said deputies have carried Tasers for years and have had few problems, although he’s aware of the concerns that have been raised about the weapons.

“As long as they’re deployed properly, they’re safe,” he said.

Baracskai, meanwhile, said he likes the idea of adding rifles to patrol cars. He said officers have seized high-powered guns including a .45-caliber pistol and Tech-9s, a pistol that can be converted to a high-capacity assault weapon.

Weapons like that, he said, can leave police overmatched if a shootout happens.

“It all goes back to the incident that happened in Hollywood, where the police were outgunned,” he said.

Following a bank robbery in North Hollywood in 1997, two heavily armed and armored robbers engaged in a lengthy shootout with Los Angeles police, whose weapons weren’t able to bring down the robbers because of their body armor. Both robbers were eventually shot, and one took his own life before he could be disarmed by police. The other died from his wounds.

Whitely said he is still looking into whether the department can sell the Tasers – which would have to go to either another law enforcement agency or an authorized dealer. The issue has yet to be presented to City Council, he said.

Councilwoman Mary Siwierka, D-at large, who chairs the Safety Committee, said she hasn’t received any information on selling the Tasers but would likely defer to the needs and desires of the department.

“Police officers are the experts, they’re professionals and they’re the ones on the streets,” she said. “If they feel a rifle is better than a Taser, I would support it if we could afford it.”

The department paid $11,959 for the Tasers in January 2008, according to the city Auditor’s Office, but Whitely said even if the department can recoup the entire amount it likely wouldn’t be enough to purchase enough rifles for all the city’s police cruisers.

Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.

---

Print this story
Report an inappropriate comment

---

In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement and discussion guidelines.

Need help? Email Us.

---