Israeli cops to limit Taser gun use following bad publicity

Source:Xinhua Published: 2012-12-26 9:54:36

Israeli police officers will stop to rethink the advantage of drawing their Taser shock guns the next time they encounter a robber or demonstrator, Ma'ariv reported Tuesday.

A meeting of police brass, headed by Commissioner Yohanan Danino, concluded Monday with a decision to limit the use of the gun, which delivers a nonlethal, immobilizing electric shock, but has created a major public image problem since entering service in Israel three years ago.

"Every incident in which a cop deals with violence is hard to explain, even if it's limited to the use of a nightstick or handcuffs, and that difficulty increases when a Taser is used," a senior officer told Ma'ariv.

"The fact that it looks like a gun makes it hard to explain that, in essence, it is a nonlethal tool that only neutralizes a civilian," he said.

According to the new guidelines, every future use of the Taser will be debriefed by an officer in charge of a squad. Patrol officers will be able to replace a spent clip with a recharged one only after presenting quartermasters with the results of a debriefing of every shot they fired.

Taser International, the Arizona-based maker, "has had its share of controversies" over its gun, which is used by more than 90 percent of the 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, The New York Times reported in February, citing safety- related issues.

In a statement, the Israeli Police said the Taser was approved for use after eight years of research.

"Officers authorized to use the gun undergo training that includes familiarization with its features and the circumstances that warrant its use," the statement said.

Posted in: Mid-East

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