Ten Shot Taser?

We qualified a while back because we were told it would cover our retirement credentials for a while.

Has everyone seen this ten shot taser? And does everyone realize what a bad idea this is?

We all know that the revised Use of Force rules pretty much deny you ever using a taser:

• can't use it on runners;
• can't use it on anyone who might fall;
• can't use it on pregnant women, children, elderly, mentally ill, handicapped people;
• can't use it on anyone actually facing you;
• it's an extensive list
  

So why carry it? Oh yeah, you're required to carry it, because you need to have too many decisions so that COPA and Crimesha and Force Review and IAD can all second guess your Use of Force decisions from the comfort of an armchair minutes, miles and days away from actually doing the job.

But now, they've come up with a taser that has ten separate darts to fire - one-at-a-time - in the extremely unlikely event that you'd ever run across a taser applicable situation.

Have you read the Use of Force Order regarding shooting a firearm? We aren't going to look up the exact wording, but:

• every single decision to pull the trigger for every single bullet MUST be justified afterwards.

So in the event you discharge your pistol:

• you shoot;
• you evaluate the result;
• you re-assess the situation;
• make a conscious and justifiable decision to shoot again

This is ridiculous and we've said so for years. Almost 100% of police shootings take place at ranges under ten feet....and they're over in four seconds or less. There isn't a person in the world who can run through that decision loop and survive unscathed.

You shoot like you train, and we don't even train that way. The Rangemaster in the booth always says, "Three shots in five seconds" or "Two shots, reload, two more shots in seven seconds," or some combination of the routine. You are (or will be) judged by the decision loop we posted, not the training regimen we do.

Now imagine a taser discharge:

• you shoot
• you evaluate the result....

Except there IS NO RESULT because a taser does not function with a single dart. There is no circuit. So now you need to fire a second time....under the same decision loop as a firearm discharge. After you've already fired and (if accurate) wounded someone with a projectile. 

It's will be evaluated as a completely separate Use of Force decision, made in tenths or hundredths of seconds. And if someone later decides the second dart is "excessive," guess who is going to lose their job and maybe go to prison, all while being sued? 

Is the FOP Safety Committee looking into this? Academy instructors? 

We also heard that the ATF has classified this taser as a "firearm" because it uses black powder to propel the dart. Has Legal Affairs chimed in on this, because you are now firing a "gun" at a subject. Plaintiff attorneys are going to crucify the Department.