Transcript Document

Montpelier Police
Department and
TASER
Patrolmen Matthew Knisley
Patrolmen Wade Cochran
7/21/2015
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Why TASERs make sense in
Montpelier, Vermont
 Even
in a relatively “safe” community it is
imperative that officers are given all the
tools possible to safely and reasonably
perform their duty.
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Goal and Objective
 Provide
Montpelier Police Officers with the
proper tools to safely and effectively
perform their jobs
 Obtain
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TASERs as one of these tools
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Today’s Situation

Montpelier Police have the following force
options for dealing with criminal or mental health
issues:






Verbal commands
Pepper Spray
Defensive Tactics
Expandable Batons
Pepperball Launcher
Firearms
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Verbal Commands
 An
officer’s ability to effect a peaceful
arrest without further incident is often a
direct result of ability to properly use
verbal commands and clearly
communicate. Our voice is a powerful tool
that we use in conjunction with all other
force options.
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Pepper Spray

When verbal
commands do not
suffice we have
pepper spray as a
force option.
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Pepper Spray Advantages

Fear Compliance


Pain Compliance


Most people not under the influence of drugs
are susceptible to pepper spray, and will feel
respiratory and eye pain when sprayed; often
gaining compliance.
Covers Large Area

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People are afraid of being sprayed and will
often cease resistant behavior at the mention
of pepper spray.
Even if pepper spray is not a direct hit it can
still have an effect on a subject.
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Pepper Spray
Disadvantages




Long decontamination process

Up to an hour or more for
pain from pepper spray to
subside
Collateral Damage

Many Officers do not like to
use pepper spray because
it often effects bystanders
(including officers) as well
as the target.
Does not work on everyone

Highly determined people
can overcome effects.

Some drugs such as angel
dust and methamphetamine
negate the effect
Not an instant stop
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Expandable Baton

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We currently have
expandable batons as
a force option.
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Expandable Baton Advantages
 Carried

Allows quick deployment
 Pain
 No

on officer’s person
and fear response
cross contamination
target of baton strike is typically who is hit
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Expandable Baton Disadvantages

Expandable Baton
strikes can cause
severe and or lasting
injuries

Public perception of
striking someone with
a hard object is not
positive
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Montpelier Police Department
incident on 8/4/06

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Resistant subject –
under the influence of
drugs and alcohol
who was struck with
baton and continued
to resist.
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Defensive Tactics or “Hands on
Techniques”
 Another
force option is the use of hands
on techniques.

These techniques include:
• Control holds and escorts
• Blocks and strikes
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Advantages of Defensive Tactics
 Officers
personal weapons (hands and
feet) are always with us
 A variety
of different techniques for
different situations
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Disadvantages of Defensive Tactics

Sometimes multiple strikes and techniques are
required to control a resistant subject.


Punching and kicking someone multiple times leads
to poor public perception
Use of these techniques can lead to a wrestling
match that an officer may not win

Also good chance of contamination from blood borne
pathogens during wrestling around
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21 Foot Rule
 If
a subject is within 21 feet of an
officer with a weapon, then
studies show that they can reach
the officer and harm them before
the officer can draw and fire their
weapon.
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Pepperball Launcher

The pepperball
launcher is another
current use of force
option

This is a tool that
launches plastic balls
filled with “pepper
powder” at a target.
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Advantages of Pepperball
Launcher
 It’s
a “less lethal” force option that can be
deployed from a long distance away.

This allows officers to stay at a safer distance
and control a subject/situation.
 There
are both pain and fear responses to
the Pepperball Launcher.
 Multiple subjects can be addressed at
once with the Pepperball Launcher.
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Disadvantages of Pepperball
Launcher

The Pepperball Launcher is not carried on an
officer’s person. Therefore it is only useful when
carried with an officer to a call. Its use takes
pre-planning and is not accessible in a rapidly
changing environment.

Same lack of effect as pepper spray - on some
individuals.

Public perception of a rifle like tool being carried
into a situation could be negative.
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Firearms
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Another force option
is the firearm.
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Advantages of Firearms
 Allow
an officer to incapacitate subject
from a safer distance
 Gives
officers the ability to protect
themselves and others from the most
serious assaults and crimes.
 Subjects
shot with a firearm are likely to
be incapacitated.
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Disadvantages of Firearms

Likely to cause death
or serious injury

Both death and
serious injury are likely
to lead to lawsuits,
whether the use of
force was reasonable
or not.
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
Although using a
firearm may be
reasonable, the public
often asks if there
was any other option
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Where do we go from
here?
How can we make our officers use
of force safer and more effective?
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TASERs are a good option.
 Many
departments are utilizing TASERs
across the state and country. TASERs are
a proven use of force option.
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What is a TASER?

A TASER is an
electronic control
device that uses
propelled wires, or
direct contact, to
conduct energy to
affect the sensory and
motor functions of the
nervous system.
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TASER advantages

Carried on an officer’s duty belt for immediate
deployment in a rapidly changing environment.

Effects only those who are hit with probes.

Close to immediate effect upon deployment.

Fear, pain and motor function response
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TASER advantages continued
 Can
control a subject/situation from a
safer distance.
 Allows
officers another tool to address
situations when lethal force with a firearm
may be reasonable.
 Integrated
camera allows for added
accountability.
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TASER disadvantages
 Cost
– approximately $1200 per unit.
perception – Negative press has led
to some poor public perception.
 Public
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Recent Montpelier incidents
when a TASER could have been
an option
– Mental health client who had cut
herself with a razor came into Montpelier
Police Department. She refused to drop
the razor. Officers were eventually able to
talk her into dropping the razor.
 5/23/07
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Suicide Statistics - Montpelier, Vermont
2000 - Present
36
7
17
44
60
Attempted
Suicide W/Sharp
Object
Attempted
Suicide
W/Medication
Attempted
Suicide by Other
Means
Attempted
Suicide
W/Firearm
Actual Suicides
Mental health incidents in
Montpelier since 2000
164
11%
1349
89%
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Mental Health
Calls Containing
words CUT,
KNIFE or
RAZOR
Total Mental
Health Calls
without those
words
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On January 1st, 2007, an out of
control intoxicated male vandalized
a vehicle and assaulted a
Montpelier Police Officer while
resisting arrest. Bouncers from
MCGILLICUDDY'S assisted officer
who was being assaulted.
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August 10, 2001
 Officers
from the Montpelier Police
Department pursued a male in a vehicle,
were assaulted by him and spray him with
pepper spray. He continued to fight and
tried to gain control of the officer’s firearm.
Although officers were eventually able to
control the subject with multiple strikes
and pepper spray, this could have easily
gone the other way.
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October 30th, 2006
 Officers
from the Montpelier Police
Department received a report that a male
had broken into his mother’s house and
trashed the residence. Our response lead
to arrests for attempting to elude a police
officer (motor vehicle pursuit), resisting
arrest, negligent motor vehicle operation
and trespassing. Subject was very
resistant upon arrest and it took three
officers to control the male.
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More Montpelier Incidents

February 23, 2006 – a  August 21, 2004 – an
mental health client in
intoxicated male
Montpelier assaulted
subject barricaded
a mental health
himself in a room
worker and
after assaulting his
barricaded himself in
girlfriend and resisted
a room.
arrest upon entry by
officers.
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Recent incidents near
Montpelier, Vermont where
TASERS were not available.
Use of lethal force was deemed
reasonable but led to lawsuits
and poor public image.
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Calls for oversight Author: DANIEL
BARLOW Staff Date: December 3, 2006
Publication: Times Argus, The
(Montpelier-Barre, VT)
On Dec. 2, 2001, seven shots from the duty
weapons of two Brattleboro police officers
rang out in All Soul's Unitarian Church in
West Brattleboro, killing Robert "Woody"
Woodward, 37, of Bellows Falls. Those
shots have echoed for the last five years.
The shooting, which was ruled tragic but
justified by state law enforcement officials,
has hung over Brattleboro in the form of a
perceived lack of trust in local police and a
wrongful death civil lawsuit, which...
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Barre Town Incident, November
2005
Peter Hirschfeld, Times Argus Staff,
November 12, 2005
BARRE TOWN – Police shot and killed a
man in the Barre police station after he
allegedly used a knife to attack an officer
who was taking his photograph and
fingerprints…
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Officer, second man fatally
shot in the Franconia area

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By Beverley
Wang, Associated
Press
Writer | May 11,
2007
FRANCONIA,
N.H. --A police
officer was fatally
shot in the line of
duty Friday night
along with another
person.
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Some other Montpelier Police
Department statistics

Pepperball Launcher


Firearm

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No shots have been fired as a use of force in the past
6 years
Baton


Used as a deterrent multiple times in the past 5 years
(since acquisition) never fired at subjects
In the four years that officers have carried batons
there has been only one baton use of force.
Pepper Spray (OC)

Six subjects have been sprayed since 2000.
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So what?

Although use of these force options may have
been reasonable in many incidents; through
good communication and de-escalation officers
of the Montpelier Police Department have
controlled situations without the use of force.


This indicates that just because we are provided the tools to do
our job we will not use them at whim.
Just because we have not had an incident where an
officer has had to resort to lethal force does not mean
that we will not. Barre Town, Brattleboro and Franconia
are excellent examples of relatively “safe” communities
where tragedies may have been avoided with the proper
tools.
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Conclusion
 TASERs
will allow our officers to safely
and reasonably control subjects and would
reduce injuries for both officers and
offenders. Because no tool is a “magic
bullet”, there is a responsibility to give
officers many options to control situations.
Although TASERs may not stop all lethal
force situations, if we can save one life
they will be worthwhile.
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