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Taser less deadly,
By JODI PREISLER CARLISLE, Pa. – Carlisle police officers have a new addition to their arsenal. In March, the department put into use eight M26 Tasers, the newest, most advanced less-lethal weapon on the market. The M26 is classified as an Electro-Muscular Disruption (EMD) weapon capable of shooting nearly 50,000 volts of electrical current into the body from up to 21 feet away. The charge affects the central nervous system and skeletal muscles, leaving a person completely incapacitated and under the control of police officers. In the past, less-lethal weapons like pepper spray and early model tasers relied on psychological impact for maximum effect. Studies have shown that a person can overcome the psychological impact and continue to be a threat to an officer’s safety. Carlisle Police Chief Stephen Margeson said that in the short time Tasers have been on the force, officers have used them on three occasions. In one incident, firing of the Taser occurred when police brought a violent suspect to the emergency room for treatment. In another incident, police used the Taser to break up a fight. “[The officer] had adequate justification,” Margeson said. “With effective usage the officer was able to gain compliance and they stopped fighting and resisting [police efforts].” Margeson said that the department conducted research on use of the Taser and spoke with other institutions that use the M26 before they were added to the Carlisle force. Officers also underwent intensive training that included being shot with the Taser. Margeson said that he was not shot during the training but he wants to experience it. The officers were not required to be shot but the response from those that were was very positive. “They are believers in the effectiveness of the Taser,” he said. Taser International, the manufacturer of the M26, said that when the Taser is fired it records the time and date of the incident. With this check and balance system built into the M26, officers will be protected from claims of excessive force. The information is also downloadable to allow the department to track usage patterns and prevent abuse. Sgt. Darren Laur, an expert in less-lethal weapons, said that there are positive and negative attributes to the design of the M26. It looks like a semi-automatic hand gun and was designed to function exactly like a firearm. This is an advantage for officers trained to use firearms. However, the M26 could easily be mistaken for an actual hand gun causing force escalation. Laur’s studies of the M26 also concluded that it “effectively debilitates a subject 100 percent of the time.” “[The M26] is a tool that gives officers another option to overt a deadly force situation,” Margeson said. He said that police officers do not want to use deadly force and the M26 can be used in a reasonable, necessary and legal manner that provides less lethal consequences. “It cuts down on suspect and officer injury,” Margeson said. Samantha Marks, a Carlisle area resident, thinks using the Taser is much better than using a gun. “It’s more humane than shooting them in the leg, and it gets their attention,” she said. Carlisle is not the first to implement Tasers to the force. Middlesex and East Pennsboro townships also employ them. As the Taser becomes more popular with police forces, there is a greater chance of advocacy groups taking positions against its use. “It’s still very new. With more exposure we could get more disapproval of its use,” Margeson said. “Sometimes you have to take actions that are unpopular with individuals.” All stories in this magazine are the intellectual property of the individual
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