Police services in Edmonton are not going to change policies around Tasers, they say, after the RCMP moved to restrict the use of the stun guns because it can kill in certain cases.
Mounties will now only use Tasers if there is real threat to public safety, because it’s too dangerous to use on suspects who are only resisting arrest, said RCMP Commissioner William Elliott in Ottawa on Thursday.
Const. Joe Tassone, a conductive energy device instructor with the Edmonton Police Service’s training section, said the program in the city is “monitoring” the decision, but there are no plans to change policies.
“I can tell you that right now, the Edmonton Police Service is confident in their policy with respect to the Taser and it’s assessed at an ongoing basis,” said Tassone. “We base our decisions on research and factual data to make certain that we are providing the best possible training for our members.”
The Taser — made by U.S. firm Taser International Inc. — incapacitates people through a 50,000-volt jolt of electricity. Police say they are needed as a non-lethal alternative to firearms.
