Should Police Use Tasers Essay

637 Words3 Pages

It’s a cold winter morning, and a police officer is patrolling his normal route. Born and raised in this small Midwestern town, he is now starting his own family here. He rarely sees any excitement at 3 A.M., but he spots a car swerving as he passes it on a country highway. He turns around and pulls the car over to find that the driver is his neighbor. It is not a rare occurrence that it is someone he knows in such a small community. His neighbor appears to be intoxicated and becomes violent when the officer reaches for his handcuffs. He takes a swing at the officer and then attempts his escape. Thirty years prior, the officer would have had the option to draw his weapon and fire or risk a dangerous car chase. Thankfully, he has a Taser gun on his belt. He is able to draw, fire, and apprehend the subject with little effort and no loss of life. His neighbor may have died that night if it were not for this modern technology. It is for this and many other similar situations that law enforcement should be allowed to use Tasers.
Police should be allowed to use Tasers because they are a good non-lethal option. Officers have few options when it …show more content…

The nightstick is an incredibly violent weapon which can be just as lethal as a handgun. If a law enforcement officer is attempting to apprehend a suspect and uses a nightstick, he first has to be close enough, but also control the level of force he is using in order to prevent serious harm. Many police departments have been held liable and sued for excessive force being applied with a nightstick. There is also the emotional damage that occurs in the unfortunate event of a police officer having to discharge his weapon of another human being. The long-lasting effects are incredibly tough on the conscience of the human mind, even if the policeman was justified in doing