CPD Taser usage investigated, critiqued
Report describes two controversial incidents from last year.
Published March 5, 2009
A report issued by Interim Police Chief Tom Dresner states Tasers were used improperly twice last year by the Columbia Police Department.
The report, presented during a City Council meeting Monday, states that CPD misused Tasers during the separate incidents last year. Mayor Darwin Hindman insisted Dresner deliver the report to the City Council.
The first incident described in Dresners' report happened in September 2008, and involved a 14-year-old boy being Tased after alleged shoplifting. Police officers shot the boy with the Taser while he attempted escape. The involvement of a juvenile in the incident has prevented the report from being viewed by the public.
The second incident happened in December 2008, when members of CPD shot a man with a Taser after he was caught for public urination. The man, who was attempting escape from the police, was subsequently charged with public urination as well as resisting arrest.
Hindman originally asked Dresner to write a report containing the above incidents.
"I thought knowledge of how the department has been using Tasers was information of general public interest, and of personal interest to me," Hindman said. "Tasers are, to some extent, dangerous, and the public should know how they are being used."
These Taser incidents provoked CPD to adopt a new change in policy, Dresner's report stated.
The new policy states Taser use is prohibited on those charged with misdemeanor offenses, those who do not use any physical violence and those who do not pose a threat to the officers or the public.
In December 2008, members of the Coalition to Control Tasers sparked CPD and the City Council to investigate the police department's use of Tasers in a letter. This letter analyzed CPD's Taser use in cases spanning from 2005 to 2008. The letter also stated CPD may have misused Tasers in several cases.
Members of the Coalition to Control Tasers include Grass Roots Organizing of Missouri, the American Civil Liberties Union, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Missouri Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and Missouri Association for Social Welfare. They hope this report will lead police departments to use better judgment with Tasers.
"We're not pushing for a ban on Tasers," coalition member Mary Hussmann said. "We just feel that the inadequate training by the police is what is causing this misusage of Tasers."
Besides Dresners' report, Mayor Hindman also recommended the coalition present its own report. The resulting 32-page report highlighted the coalition's belief that CPD is inappropriately using Tasers, which could result in hurting, and even killing innocent civilians.
The coalition's report is broken down into four areas: training, medical effects, regulations and oversight.
"The police could have the proper training, regulations could be in place, and victims could receive proper medical attention after being tased," Hussman said. "But without an oversight, all of this would go to waste, and Tasers will continue to be a potential problem."
The coalition also felt if the department were to start following the guidelines from the Police Executive Research Forum, officers could begin to correct previous mistakes of mishandling Tasers and make informed decisions.
PERF is a research organization for police administration, which has studied Taser usage across the U.S. Through its studies and interviews with Taser victims and police officials, it has determined 52 regulations for Taser usage.
Hussmann said CPD is not following the standard set by PERF on Taser usage.
"If the police were to completely adhere to the PERF standard, then Tasers would soon not become as big of an issue," he said.
City Council members gave support to the coalition's report.
"The coalition raised some good points in their report," First Ward City Councilman Paul Sturtz said. "It would make sense for the police department to integrate some of the points made by the coalition into their policy."
Dresner could not be reached for comment.