Metro Revives Taser Use

The Metro Nashville Police Department will give Tasers back to patrol officers starting next week.

Stun guns were pulled from regular use in late 2005 after a 21-year-old man died. Patrick Lee of Nashville was shocked 19 times after resisting arrest. He was using illegal drugs at the time and had stripped himself naked. He died two days later and an autopsy determined he had “excited delirium” which can occur when drugs or mental conditions are aggravated by a Taser shock.

Dr. Cory Slovis is director of emergency medicine at Vanderbilt Medical Center and helped craft a new policy for Metro Police. He says thousands of people have been Tasered without incident in testing the weapon, but there are still risks and unknowns.

“The very people who get Tasered are usually at higher risk than a normal, healthy, volunteer. For that reason, our policy is designed to be as safe as possible.”

Officers must take an eight-hour course each year to use a stun gun. The Taser should not be used on pregnant women or disabled suspects. Officers are also limited to shocking a person no more than three times before using another method of submission.

The police department has ordered 120 new stun guns. 75 others have been assigned to supervisors and SWAT teams since 2005 but will now be available to any certified officer. Police Chief Ronal Serpas says using a Taser is much safer than a police baton or hand gun.