New questions surround use as tasers are found to be 'ineffective' more than 30% of the time
New questions are surrounding the use of police taser guns after the devices failed to subdue a toll evader with a knife in Brooklyn this month.
New questions surround use as tasers are found to be 'ineffective' more than 30% of the time
ByDan Krauth
Monday, September 23, 2024
Tasers are 'ineffective' more than 30% of the time: investigationDan Krauth and the 7 On Your Side Invesigates team dives deeper into the use of police taser guns and their effectiveness.
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New questions are surrounding the use of police taser guns after the devices failed to subdue a toll evader with a knife in Brooklyn on September 15.
Police body camera video shows the actions two officers took when Derrell Mickles didn't follow their commands after toll evading twice and displayed a knife. Less than a minute after the officers caught up with Mickles on the Brooklyn subway platform, they deployed their tasers but the devices didn't work to stop him.
The video appears to show the suspect pulling the metal probes from his clothing and leaving the subway car.
"The male jumps back off the train onto the platform and at one point he's advancing at one of the officers with a knife," said NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey.
After the tasers were ineffective, both officers then opened fire, striking Mickles, two innocent bystanders, and one officer was also hit by the other officer's gun fire.
"It's a very complicated tool," said Chuck Wexler, Executive Director of Police Executive Research Forum, a group that works to improve professionalism in policing.
"We're not saying we're against the tasers, we're saying that if you use it recognize there's a high percentage that it won't be effective and what are you going to do if it's not effective, that's the message from this case," said Wexler.
An NYPD report from 2022, the last year the data's publicly available, shows officers used tasers the most during crimes in progress and with emotionally disturbed people.
They were effective 66% of the time.
The report shows that's mainly due to probes falling out, the suspect fights through the pain, or the officer is too far away.
Nationwide, Wexler said the tasers are ineffective about 40% of the time.
"If you use this tool 40% of time it doesn't work, what's your plan B going to be if it doesn't work," said Wexler.
When asked if the department is going to look into its usage of tasers, the NYPD said it investigates all aspects of all police involved shootings.
