Maui officers take
jolts to promote Tasers
WAILUKU >> Three police officers suddenly fell onto mats, unable to do anything but lie face down on the ground, after they received an electrical jolt similar to one from a Taser gun that will be used by Maui patrol officers later this year.
The demonstration outside the Maui police chief's office left the three -- officers John Foster, Chris Schmitt, and Sgt. Jamie Becraft -- believers in the new technological alternative to deadly force.
The jolt, administered through clipped-on wires, rendered them unable to stand for about five to 10 seconds.
"There was no bite to it. Every muscle seemed to tense up. ... Every muscle constricted at the same time," Foster said.
Becraft, who was the first to stand up, said: "It has a lot of punch, too it. It was intense."
Twenty-four Taser guns have been purchased by the department to reduce injuries to police officers and suspects, said police Sgt. Mark Joaquin, a use-of-force training coordinator and certified master Taser instructor.
The Taser gun is capable of firing two electrical prods on wires into a suspect 21 feet away, delivering a jolt of 50,000 volts of electricity.
Maui Police Chief Thomas Phillips said the department plans to deploy the weapon among patrol officers in a district "as soon as we can."
He said the department is still going through an evaluation and protocol for using the weapon and is deciding what district will be used for the pilot program.
Phillips said he feels the department has picked a good time to use the Taser since the newest model, X26, is 60 percent smaller than the prior model, M26, and more "practical," enabling patrolmen to put it on their belt along with the standard weapons.
Each Taser, including gun, battery and holster, costs about $800.
Detective Clyde Holokai, another certified Taser instructor and an arrest and defense tactics instructor, said statistics from other police departments show the threat of using the Taser is enough to make most suspects comply with orders from a law enforcement officer.
Joaquin said in Orange County, Fla., injuries to sheriff deputies decreased to 24 in 2002 from 120 in 2000.
"They directly linked it to the use of Tasers," Joaquin said.
Joaquin said Honolulu police who have been testing the use of the Taser have also liked the results.
www.co.maui.hi.us
