Should police officers endure the effects of a taser gun before being permitted to carry one?

At Hero 911, we understand that many of the people who visit our site – and our blog – come from different professional backgrounds. Some of you are current police officers, working the beat every day and/or night. Others are retired officers who have already logged countless hours keeping our streets safe. There may even be some visitors who want to pursue a career in law enforcement sometime in the near future. Whatever your background may be, chances are you currently have, have had, or will eventually have authorization to carry some pretty serious defensive and offensive weaponry: a gun, handcuffs, pepper spray, baton, etc. But there’s one weapon in particular that we’d like to focus on. In this article, we’re discussing what it takes to own and responsibly use a police-issued taser gun.

What is a taser gun?

A taser gun, often times referred to as a “stun gun,” is a non-lethal weapon tasked with disarming a non-compliant suspect so that he/she can be detained for further questioning.

How do you earn the right to carry a taser gun?

As an officer of the law, the requirements to possess and use a taser differ from department to department. Some will insist that an officer must be shot with a taser before being permitted to use one on duty, while others have no such rules. Regardless of your department’s stance of taser usage qualifications, there are many benefits to having to endure the physical effects of a taser gun before being allowed to use one. Yes, you read that last sentence correctly: it’s important to be shot with a taser before having the authority to enforce its power.

Why is it necessary for an officer to be shot with a taser gun before earning the right to be armed with one?

Even though taser guns are non-lethal weapons, their impact can still be quite severe. A standard police-issued taser gun is capable of injecting up to 50,000 volts of electricity into its target. In comparison, most car batteries only operate on 12-15 volts! That’s a big difference in power! Now imagine this amount of electricity coursing through your body. Once these volts penetrate your skin, the electrical current “interferes with your peripheral nervous system, creating uncontrollable muscular convulsions and rendering you temporarily unable to control your own movements.” It’s not a pleasant feeling. So why is it important for police officers to experience the effects of a taser gun shot? Having the memory of feeling 50,000 volts coursing through his/her body will help a police officer be mindful of pulling the trigger on a taser gun in a non-compliant situation. This ensures the officer will do his/her due diligence first, thus reducing the chance of a “trigger happy” scenario by ensuring that a taser gun is used only if absolutely necessary.

Tasers aren’t suitable for all situations.

Taser guns are intended to be a non-lethal weapon to diffuse a non-compliant, non-lethal suspect. Tasers are not intended to combat lethally armed suspects, such as those in an active shooter or active killer situation. As an officer, it is up to you to know which of your weapons is best suited for the task at hand. While tasers are effective in many confrontations, sometimes they are not enough. Always use your own digression when determining whether or not lethal force is required.