DeKalb police to carry Tasers again

By Megan Matteucci

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

About 1,000 Tasers will soon hit the DeKalb County streets, marking the second time the police department has carried the stun guns.

DeKalb County Police lieutenants and sergeants will train on the 50,000-volt stun guns on Monday. The rest of the force will train later this month and next month, DeKalb Police Officer Jason Gagnon said.

The department purchased 1,021 Tasers earlier this month, according to manufacturer Taser International.

“Taser Electronic Control Devices are very effective, non-lethal devices that assist officers in their daily functions when confronting violent situations or armed suspects,” Chief William O’Brien said in a statement. “This is an essential tool in our efforts to reduce injuries to both suspects and officers.”

Last month, Taser International issued a warning to officers to no longer shoot in the chest because of possible cardiac problems from the stun guns.

In 2005, DeKalb police took its 125 Tasers off the street after the company issued a warning that multiple or prolonged blasts could impair breathing and lead to death.

The warning “just nailed the coffin” on the decision to halt Taser use, then-DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones said.

“There was life before Tasers,” Jones said in 2005 when asked about other non-lethal force.

At the time, the department said they were concerned about a death of a Gwinnett County jail inmate after being stunned by a Taser.

There have been more than 400 deaths in the U.S. and 26 in Canada since 2001, according to a study by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Tasers have contributed to more than 30 of those deaths, according to medical examiners.

Three of those occurred in the Gwinnett County jail after deputies used a Taser on fighting inmates. Autopsies showed two of those deaths were the result of heart attacks, but did not cite what caused the cardiac arrest. The other death was ruled the result of a combination of cocaine, alcohol and physical exertion that excited his heart too much, according to an autopsy.

In DeKalb, officers must pass a 10-hour training course and learn the department’s use of force policy before carrying a Taser, Gagnon said.

Sergeants and patrol officers also will be required to get shocked at least two seconds before adding the Taser to their arsenal.

“Lieutenants and above will not carry the devices and will not be required to participate in the exposure,” Gagnon said in a statement.

DeKalb officers re-join law enforcement in Gwinnett, Clayton and the DeKalb sheriff’s department who already carry Tasers. Atlanta Police’s SWAT team also carries Tasers.

Those agencies said they are in the process of retraining their officers after Taser International issued the warning last month.

The company recommends officers shoot in the back, abdomen or thigh. The company tells officers to avoid shots to the chest, face and neck, according to a statement from the company.

Taser International insists that the stun guns only pose a low risk of a cardiac arrest. The October announcement is the first time the company has ever said Tasers could cause heart problems.