• Leslie Wilber •
• Originally published July 7, 2008 at 11:10 a.m., updated July 7, 2008 at 11:10 a.m.

Tasers can prevent injury and save lives, Victoria Police Chief Bruce Ure says.

“Fewer suspects are injured and fewer police officers are injured during altercations,” Ure said. “When a police officer has to go hands on and make physical contact with a suspect, generally, somebody gets hurt.”

Both the Victoria Police Department and the Victoria County Sheriff’s office have use-of-force policies that allow officers to use Tasers when they’ve tried gentler methods to subdue someone.

Tasers are just one tool deputies can use, Sheriff T. Michael O’Connor said.

“I am always looking for new tools we can use,” he said.

Deputies might use Tasers in the same situations they’d use pepper spray or a baton, Capt. Abel Arriazola said.

The Taser lets deputies stand further away from people who are aggressive, Arriazola said, and it’s less likely to permanently injure someone than a baton.

“You can study a situation from a distance,” Arriazola said. Officers might use Tasers as an alternative to pepper spray or engaging in a light hands on struggle.

The Taser helps law enforcement “find a medium before going for a lethal weapon,” Arriazola said.

When police arrest someone, they want to use the least force possible, Ure said. The Taser is on the third level in the department’s use of force continuum, he said.

Deputies and officers who use Tasers are well aware of their effects. In both local departments, getting stunned is a requirement for carrying Tasers.

While the weapons are useful, they do have limitations, Arriazola said.

“It’s not intended to replace a service weapon,” Arriazola said.

Leslie Wilber is a reporter for the Victoria Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6521 or e-mail her at lwilber@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com

• Print
• •
• Share
  • Share this item

    Send this to a friend

    Share on FaceBook

  • Grab the link

    Copy and paste the link:

  • Blog about it

    Blog about this page.

  • Close
• •
• 1 Comment
• •
• Favorite
• •
• Report error
  • Thank you for your submission.
    Error report or correction

    Contact name (optional) Contact phone/e-mail (optional)  

    
  • Close
• •