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Application and Use of TASERs by a Midwestern Police Agency

NCJ Number
229117
Journal
International Journal of Police Science & Management Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Dated: Winter 2009 Pages: 414-428
Author(s)
Gregory J. DeLone; Liddie M. Thompson
Date Published
2009
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study examined the frequency, circumstances, and outcomes for all TASER deployments by officers in the medium-sized Lincoln Police Department (Nebraska) from January 2004 to August 2007.
Abstract
Over the study period, the Lincoln Police Department (LPD) had 26 TASER cases. The small number of cases makes any meaningful statistical analysis inappropriate if not impossible. Findings indicate that the TASER was used primarily against physically resistant White male suspects with a history of police contact. The majority of the TASER incidents occurred at a private residence or apartment rather than in a public commercial area. The TASER was overwhelmingly effective in subduing the suspects. The TASER was rarely used more than once on a suspect, and never more than three times. In the few cases in which an officer was injured, the injury was not related to the TASER deployment. Suspect resistance, or at least as perceived by the officers, was a determining factor in the use of a TASER. Suspects were armed with a weapon in 50 percent of the cases. In 61.5 percent of the cases, suspects were taken to a hospital; however, no hospital information was available for the current study. The LPD's TASER policy now requires that individuals tased must be taken to a hospital for observation. Suspect injury was noted in three cases. In two of the cases, injury occurred prior to police arrival. In one incident, the suspect suffered a fractured skull that resulted from a fall after being tased. The study's primary data came from official LPD reports on the TASER cases. 2 tables, 3 notes, and 45 references

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