Wednesday, November 27, 2002
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Wednesday, November 27, 2002 |
| Jolt from
Fville police's taser weapon is jarring, effective
By JOHN MUNFORD
The electrical jolt from the Fayetteville Police Department's new taser weapon doesn't just get your attention; it commands it. I got zapped by the M-26 Advanced Taser last Thursday to get a taste of what it can do. And though I didn't get the full five-second burst, I can testify that it's a very effective tool. I got a good two or three second shock from it via wires taped to my clothing. It was a jarring blast, but as soon as I first felt the charge my legs started to buckle out from under me. Two officers grabbed hold of me by both sides so I wouldn't fall to the ground. After the blast was over, it seemed like it took a second or two for my brain to snap back to normal. I was still trying to comprehend the pain from the charge and what exactly just happened to me. Residual vibration resonated in my right shoulder and right foot, where the wires from the weapon were taped, for several minutes later. In reality, the shock will be administered by two wires fired from the taser, which looks just like a regular handgun. A probe on each wire sticks in to the suspect, allowing the charge to disrupt normal communications between the brain and the muscular system. But the idea of "getting shot" was a little unnerving and it has an itching side effect from where the probes hit. I wasn't about to itch like crazy at the city council meeting I had to attend later that night. Nonetheless, I got a clear picture of exactly how effective the taser is. Had I gotten the full five-second jolt and been allowed to fall to the ground, it likely would have taken me more than a few seconds to get back up. That's all the time an officer would need to sweep in behind me and slap the cuffs on, which is the main idea in the first place. After I got zapped, I sure couldn't have put up much of a fight.
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