Police Agencies Undeterred by Taser Opponents

Despite lingering questions about the safety of Taser stun guns, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department is about to join a growing list of law enforcement agencies that have purchased the weapon for patrol officers.

Chief Deputy Bruce McDowell, who oversees the department’s training, said the decision to proceed with the $500,000 purchase of 500 Taser X26 devices was made after several years of research.

Although scores of deaths have been linked to the weapon over the years, McDowell said further investigation determined that none were caused solely by a Taser, which is marketed as a nonlethal alternative to firearms. Most victims had heart conditions or were on drugs or both, he said.

“We have not seen any credible studies that have shown that the Taser is what’s responsible for these deaths,” McDowell said.

The Sheriff Department’s decision to go with the Taser gun follows similar purchases this year by the Simi Valley, Santa Paula and Ventura police departments. The Oxnard Police Department was so satisfied with its 16 Tasers that it recently decided to buy more than 150 to equip its officers.

In Los Angeles, Police Chief William J. Bratton is expected to ask the City Council to pay for 6,800 Taser guns. The department has 750 older models.

But Samer Rabadi, deputy director for Amnesty International USA’s office in Los Angeles, condemned the LAPD’s proposed purchase and urged all law enforcement agencies to stop using Tasers until more independent medical research can determine the long-term effects.

“They are being marketed as a benign weapon,” Rabadi said. “But we don’t know yet about all the internal damage. We’re not necessarily against Tasers, but we think we first need to know their full consequences. When, and if, they are reintroduced, it should only be after state and federal safety regulations are enacted.”

The Taser uses compressed nitrogen to shoot two darts that attach to a suspect’s body. The darts are connected to the gun by a wire and deliver a 50,000-volt shock in five-second intervals to incapacitate its target.

The controversy over its use flared again this month when James Nunez, 27, of Santa Ana died Aug. 8 after police shot him with a Taser gun as he ran away during a traffic stop.

Nunez was wanted on a no-bail warrant for a narcotics violation. A small amount of methamphetamine was found in the van he was driving and in his clothes. The circumstances of his death are under investigation.

In October 2003, Roman Gallius Pierson, 40, of Moreno Valley died after he was shocked twice with a Taser gun by a Brea police officer. His death was determined to have been caused by cardiorespiratory arrest and an overdose of methamphetamine.

The Police Executive Research Forum in Washington, D.C., has studied the use of conducted-energy devices, of which Taser is the leading manufacturer.

Joshua A. Ederheimer, director of the research forum’s Center for Force and Accountability, said that after reviewing 96 deaths between 1999 and 2005, it was determined that in more than four out of five cases, the person had ingested some type of drug.

The research forum developed guidelines for the safe use of the devices, including providing medical care to a shocked suspect within an hour of the incident and continued monitoring.

The group believes the devices “are excellent less lethal weapons when used properly,” Ederheimer said.

Physicians differ on the Taser’s potential danger and suggest further study is needed.

Dr. Zian Tseng, a heart rhythm expert at UC San Francisco Medical School, said jolting a person at the wrong moment in the heartbeat could cause arrhythmia, which could be fatal.

Tseng suggested that police with Tasers should carry automatic external defibrillators in their squad cars in case a suspect goes into cardiac arrest.

“I’m a pragmatist. I think there is a role for Taser,” Tseng said. “If you look at the numbers, it’s probably saving police officer lives. It may be less lethal, but you can’t say nonlethal.... I’m not fully convinced in terms of its safety.”

Dr. Ted Chan, a professor of clinical medicine at UC San Diego Medical Center, helped develop the protocol for emergency room physicians to treat those jolted by a Taser. He said there are always cause-and-effect questions surrounding less lethal weapons.

But “when you look at Taser use worldwide, the number of deaths is a very small fraction of the total,” Chan said.

To build community support for using Tasers, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department held public meetings to explain the technology and how it can potentially save lives.

Ratan Bhavnani, president of the Ventura County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said he welcomes the use of Tasers as a way to reduce officer-involved shootings of people with severe emotional problems.

“My stand is clear,” Bhavnani said. “Anything that is less lethal than a handgun is good.”