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University Police explores Taser use |
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Tuesday, 30 January 2007 |
by HEATHER SANDERS
News Reporter
Appalachian State University Police is looking to add Tasers to its store of non-lethal weapons.
Police Chief Gunther E. Doerr said although University Police have the Tasers, they have not been in use.
 Active Image | Derek DeSha | The Appalachian
Very soon, one can expect to see Tasers added to the belt of Appalachian State University Police officers. While not in use yet, the police department has approved the addition of tasers to non-lethal weapon such as pepper spray and batons.
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Doerr said the university approved the policy for the use of Tasers
over Winter Break. He hopes university officers can begin Taser
training in February under a certified instructor from the Boone Police
Department.
“We’re not anticipating use on a regular basis,” he said.
When University Police officers go through training, he said they will be tased themselves so they know the force of the weapon.
Doerr said he adopted this policy from the International Association of
Chiefs of Police. Officers can only use the Taser if an individual
demonstrates an overt intention of violence against the officer or
another person. Officers must follow the use of force continuum.
Dr. Kenneth L. Mullen, associate professor in the political science and
criminal justice department, said most agencies use this continuum.
Mullen said officers start with verbal commands, then advance to
non-lethal weapons, such as pepper spray, batons and Tasers if they
feel the situation requires it.
Doerr said pepper spray is often not the best method to use, especially
in a group of people where innocent bystanders can be affected.
For most people, there are no lingering effects from a Taser. Effects of pepper spray can last two to three hours.
Doerr said once the person is tased, officers would immediately handcuff them.
“When you get a suspect that is belligerent or uncontrollable, a Taser
is a very quick, effective tool to subdue someone,” Mullen said.
Doerr said if a Taser is used, then the officer will have to file a
special use of force report describing the situation and listing any
witnesses to the incident.
He said Tasers are used at other University of North Carolina schools, such UNC-Wilmington and UNC-Greensboro.
Doerr also said he will monitor the use of the Taser to make sure it is
not being abused. However, he said Tasers will not be used in the case
of passive resistance.
According to news reports, passive resistance was employed Nov.14, 2006
by University of California at Los Angeles student Mostafa
Tabatabainejad when campus police asked him to show his identification.
Tabatabainejad, an Iranian-American, asked the officer to check the IDs
of other students, saying he was being singled out because of racial
profiling.
Doerr said it is a violation of Appalachian’s student code of conduct
for students to refuse to show their ID to any university official.
Some witnesses say Tabatabainejad was leaving the library when he was stopped by a police officer.
However, University of California Police Department Assistant Chief
Jeff Young said the student was being escorted when he went limp.
A video, taken on a UCLA student’s cell phone and available on
Youtube.com, shows officers telling Tabatabainejad to get up and shows
the officers shocking him with their Tasers.
Tabatabainejad filed a lawsuit Jan. 17 against UCLA, UCPD and several officers over the incident.
“I would be hard pressed to think that type of situation would ever happen at Appalachian,” Doerr said.
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