Tasers and Stun Guns: Not Just for Police Controversy

The controversy that surrounded the Meriden Police Department following the death of a man who was subdued using a stun gun outside police headquarters led several to call for a moratorium from the city and state on use of the tools.

The electric shock is dangerous and police using the devices as “tools of torture,” Scot X. Esdaile, board member with the Connecticut Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said in a press conference outside the department in June.

But an in-depth study conducted regarding use of Tasers and stun guns in Meriden over the past 17-months tells a very different story; one in which the devices are providing a strong service in helping prevent the need for deadly force and making the community a safer place.

“The use of Tasers in Meriden lies 75 percent below the national average on a per call basis and in the time we’ve used them, officer injuries are down by more than 70 percent,” said Meriden Police Chief Jeffry Cossette. “These are invaluable tools and while a few incidents have led people to place blame on the Tasers, research suggests otherwise.”

The department became the target of the NAACP and American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut on June 10 when 43-year-old Meriden resident Noel Mendoza died shortly after being stunned with an electric device. Use of a Taser was necessary to bring him under control, police said, after he began fighting with officers.

Esdaile and David J. McGuire, ACLU attorney, called the death “alarming,” although an autopsy later in the week eventually cleared the stun gun use and determined it was not a factor in the death.

In a study conducted by the department following the incident, figures showed that out of 55,603 calls for service, the department pulled a Taser just 44 times and used it 39 times. The department had a total of 206 cases requiring use of force in all.

Take a full look at the Meriden Police Department statistics, recorded from Jan. 1, 2012 to June 2, 2013:

Calls for Service: 55,603
Total Arrests: 5,281
Incidents Involving Use of Force: 206
Incidents Involving Tasers Being Pulled: 44
Incidents Involving Use of the Taser: 39

Compared to the national average, provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, police used Tasers or stun guns an average of 1.4 percent of all calls for service resulted in the need for “use of force by police.” In comparison, use of force in Meriden was at just 0.37 percent.

Even then, Cossette notes, the department used stun guns less than 25 percent of the time.

“When you look at the incidents, there were five separate cases where after extensive investigation, it was determined that officers would need to use deadly force if not for the Taser,” he said. “In many of these cases, the officers were at risk of injury or death themselves. The use of a Taser helped prevent death and injury.”

McGuire said Thursday that he's pleased to see the work Meriden has done to study Taser use, but isn't convinced that use is completely safe.

"It's encouraging to hear that the Meriden police have been using Tasers less frequently," McGuire said. "We know that city officials share our concern that three people have died over the past five years after being Tasered by Meriden police officers. We have requested extensive documentation on use of force by Meriden police, including details on the race of everyone who has been Tasered, and we look forward to receiving that information."

Taser International reports that across the nation while there are many incidents where Tasers were used in force that eventually resulted in death, there are no autopsy findings that tie Taser use directly to fatalities.

The most common diagnosis in these cases is “excited delirium,” a term that first appeared in the early 1980s associated with drug use and mental breakdowns. It became more common as Tasers as a use of force became involved.

But Topulos said excited delirium is also used in cases where Tasers are never used and is often associated with mental breakdowns as a result of psychological conditions or drug use.

“We have a policy in place for responding to this, and while we are trying to avoid using Tasers when possible, there are circumstances where officers are left with no choice,” Topulos said. “We are seeing a change in the mental health system and in many cases, those acting erratic or disoriented and combative aren’t receiving the help they need.”

“We will continue to address this and continue to look at Taser use closely to find the best way to protect the community and get those suffering from excited delirium the help they need.”

Stay tuned with Meriden Patch in the coming weeks as we explore the term “excited delirium” and the causes and responses used by police in cases involving the condition.

Make sure to like Meriden Patch on Facebook or follow on Twitter for breaking news, daily updates and more!