Mo. Taser use under scrutiny

Organizations demand police be held accountable for their actions.

By Jessica Holdman

Published March 12, 2009

The coalition to Control Tasers held a meeting Wednesday to discuss promote their views on Tasers and a new Taser task force that has been proposed in the Missouri General Assembly.

The meeting was held Wednesday at the Old Labor Temple to educate the public on Tasers and the dangers of their misuse.

The coalition is a local organization made up of members of the American Civil Liberties Union, GRO-Grass Roots Organizing, Mid-Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Missouri Association for Social Welfare, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Parents and Friends, and Families of Lesbians and Gays.

The coalition is pushing for the adoption of the Police Executive Research Forum guidelines for Taser use by the Columbia Police Department. The coalition said though the department has amended some of its policy, there are still 34 guidelines that are either absent or only partially included.

A CPD news release stated a report was issued at the coalition's request and was submitted through GRO. Interim Police Chief Tom Dresner said CPD would be sending its current policy to PERF to be analyzed in accordance with PERF guidelines, the news release stated.

Although the issue was discussed, amending CPD's Taser policies wasn't the main point of the meeting.

"We planned this long before the police decided to amend their policies, not in response," ACLU President and local attorney Dan Viets said.

The coalition said unregulated Taser use is dangerous and can be deadly. Viets said Tasers are too often used to coerce compliance.

"Tasers are not used in situations where an officer faces deadly force," Viets said. "It is never used instead of shooting someone. It never saves a life. It takes lives."

Coalition member Mary Hussman said deaths caused by Tasers permanently affect the community.

Former St. Louis Metropolitan Area Police Officer and ACLU-Easter Missouri Program Director Redditt Hudson spoke to the group about Taser views.

Hudson promoted making law enforcement accountable.

"You do more damage when you fail to acknowledge the reality that we understand: to the process, to the police-community relationship, to our democracy, when you allow some officers to abuse their authority, to hide behind the badge," Hudson said.

Hudson said Tasers are used coercively and inappropriately.

A Taser can be fired from as far away as 20 feet or it can be pressed directly to the skin in what is called a drive stun. The Taser runs for five seconds with each discharge, but the trigger can be pulled multiple times, restarting the sequence, increasing the risk of injury. The effect is said to be worse for people with irregular heartbeat or who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to PERF guidelines.

"Even if an officer is using it in good faith we don't know what is going to happen because you just can't trust the data," Hudson said.

The coalition is not against Taser use, Hussman said. It wants a moratorium on their use until further studies have been conducted about their voltage, the part body weight plays and their effects on the drugged, elderly and children.

The coalition supports two bills in the General Assembly. Both bills would form a task force of police chiefs, doctors and experts to further investigate the effects of Tasers. The task force would report to the legislature by Jan. 1, 2011.

"The main thing is to push for change," Hudson said.

The family of 23-year-old Stanley Harlan from Moberly was also present and gave testament to their experience with Tasers. Harlan was killed after being Tased by Moberly police officers outside his home in the presence of his mother.

The news release stated PERF now has CPD's policy. CPD is waiting to hear how much an analysis will cost, which would be an unbudgeted expense.

A response is expected from PERF next week.