Taser vs Firearm

[darrell]

I just was paroosing through the Police News Sites and I noticed the sad death of a El Paso Texas Police officer that only had 1 month on the job.

Article

My question is why would anyone want to try and use a taser on a guy weilding a gun? I know your not trained to do that but could the heat of the moment cause you to reach for the wrong weapon?

Here is the story.

EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- A police officer who had been on the job less than a month was fatally shot while responding to a call for a family disturbance, El Paso police said.

Officer Angel Barcena, 38, who graduated from the police academy Aug. 26 and was recently married, died early Saturday at Beaumont Army Medical Center shortly after being shot.

Theodore Michael Berry, 42, was arrested and charged with capital murder.

Barcena was the first El Paso police officer killed in the line of duty in more than a decade.

"For a chief of police, this is your worst nightmare - to have an officer killed in the line of duty," said Chief Richard Wiles, wearing a black band across his badge.

Police said Barcena was shot after he and his field training officer, Daniel Delgado, responded to a 911 call from a woman identified as Berry's wife that an intoxicated man was trying to break into the house.

The officers entered through a partly open garage door after hearing screams coming from inside the house. Once inside the garage, the officers saw a man trying to break into a door leading into the house.

After the man drew his .38-caliber revolver, the officers retreated. At one point, Barcena fired his Taser stun gun, but missed the man. The man fired two shots, hitting Barcena once in the back of the upper left leg, severing an artery.

Berry was arrested shortly afterward. The woman was not injured.

Newly graduated officers don't patrol alone and are assigned to a field training officer for their first six to nine months of a probationary period, police said. Barcena was wearing a bulletproof vest.

[acreature]

I shall state the obvious answer, "HELL NO!"

[sbrad]

I truly hope this can be used to teach people in the future that a weapon such as a gun requires a deadly force response and not a tazer. Very sad indeed.

[Toeknee112]

Sad story but you don't take a Taser to a gun fight.

[Group9]

This one was an easy call. But, I can see a situation where you might pull your taser out in a non-deadly force situation, and quickly realize that it has changed into a deadly force situation with you holding the wrong gun.

[Johninaustin]

This one was an easy call. But, I can see a situation where you might pull your taser out in a non-deadly force situation, and quickly realize that it has changed into a deadly force situation with you holding the wrong gun.

It's quite possible he fired the Taser because that's what he already had in hand. After all, this may have been seen as a training opportunity to get a rookie more time on the device.

My next question is, why didn't the FTO shoot the guy? For Pete's sake, you have an active aggressor and an officer down, where is the return fire?

[steelcityk9cop]

I've noticed recently a larger number of departments with deployed tasers carying them in leg holsters on the gun side.... I hope it's not an incident where the officer drew the wrong piece of equipment under stress. Hopefully someone will have access to more details.

[acreature]

Mine is cross draw leg holster, weak side.

[JD45]

It's quite possible he fired the Taser because that's what he already had in hand. After all, this may have been seen as a training opportunity to get a rookie more time on the device.

WHAT?!?!?! No way! A training opportunity?? I would NEVER play around with my life or someone elses life to give them training time with the device. 'Training' time would be someone intoxicated or under the influence, who is UNARMED.

That guy should have got two the chest and one to the head... :mad:

[acreature]

It's taught, with us anyway, that you do not draw taser when not backed up.... Unless obvious the suspect is unarmed.

If with backup, one taser, if needed, and one covers with firearm.

Apparently, though I was not there, the FTO was not covering :mad: :mad:

[Toeknee112]

Mine is cross draw leg holster, weak side.

Same here.

[doomtsu]

I truly hope this can be used to teach people in the future that a weapon such as a gun requires a deadly force response and not a tazer. Very sad indeed.

I agree....a tazer would be good for other specific situations (sucidal suspect with a knife, mental case, etc.), but definitely not a replacement for an officers duty weapon!! That's insane! Less lethal weapons have a place, but lets not have officers out there with less firepower than the criminals!

[Ragnarok]

Didn't a similar thing happen in Madera? It was an incident where the officer drew the Glock instead of the Taser. After that, it was recommended that Tasers be worn on the opposite side of the handgun.

I don't know the specifics, but it seems to me, if you have both weapons on one side, regardless of placement, the sudden adreneline surge makes it likely you could possible draw the wrong weapon.

[darrell]

Didn't a similar thing happen in Madera? It was an incident where the officer drew the Glock instead of the Taser. After that, it was recommended that Tasers be worn on the opposite side of the handgun.

I don't know the specifics, but it seems to me, if you have both weapons on one side, regardless of placement, the sudden adreneline surge makes it likely you could possible draw the wrong weapon.

Yes I read that in the APB Magazine a few months back. It was a female officer I believe.

[michiganstud]

My PD just got their tasers last week. They are ITCHING to use them. They have a bet goin to see which shift uses them first. LOL

But the word is already on the street, many threats have been made by officers to mopes, and everyone complied. :(

When Michigan writes reserves and corrections into the law we will be carrying them. :D