Supposedly, police are trained in a “use of force continuum” for determining the level of force required to bring a person under control.
The following is the recommended escalation procedure, from the National Institute of Justice, for use by police departments in the US.
Officer Presence – No force is used.
Considered the best way to resolve a situation.
The mere presence of a law enforcement officer works to deter crime or diffuse a situation.
Officers’ attitudes are professional and nonthreatening.
Verbalization – Force is not-physical
Officers issue calm, nonthreatening commands, such as “Let me see your identification and registration.”Officers may increase their volume and shorten commands in an attempt to gain compliance. Short commands might include “Stop,” or “Don’t move.”
Empty-Hand Control – Officers use bodily force to gain control of a situation.Soft technique. Officers use grabs, holds and joint locks to restrain an individual.
Hard technique. Officers use punches and kicks to restrain an individual.
Less-Lethal Methods – Officers use less-lethal technologies to gain control of a situation.
(See Deciding When and How to Use Less-Lethal Devices.)
Blunt impact. Officers may use a baton or projectile to immobilize a combative person.Chemical. Officers may use chemical sprays or projectiles embedded with chemicals to restrain an individual (e.g., pepper spray).
Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs). Officers may use CEDs to immobilize an individual. CEDs discharge a high-voltage, low-amperage jolt of electricity at a distance.
Lethal Force – Officers use lethal weapons to gain control of a situation.
Should only be used if a suspect poses a serious threat to the officer or another individual.Officers use deadly weapons such as firearms to stop an individual’s actions.
Unfortunately, according to the State Police press release regarding the tasing-to-death of an unarmed, suicidal person, the officer in question skipped the empty-hand methods altogether, nor did he attempt to use old-fashioned “less lethal” methods, such as blunt force.
“The Trooper noticed that Mr. Mason was unarmed, unarmed, therefore he lowered his weapon and drew his taser. The Trooper ordered Mr. Mason on the ground and Mr. Mason lowered to a squatting position, the Trooper continued to tell Mr. Mason to get on his stomach, at which time Mr. Mason stood up and moved toward the Trooper with a closed fist yelling aggressively at the Trooper. … The Trooper continued with verbal commands for Mr. Mason to get on the ground, and after several failed attempts for Mr. Mason to comply, the Trooper deployed his taser, striking Mr. Mason in the chest. Mr. Mason went to the ground and the Trooper immediately rendered first aid as he observed Mr. Mason was unresponsive. The Trooper administered CPR and continued so until Rescue personnel took over the care of Mr. Mason and transported him via ambulanced to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, where he was pronounced dead at the hospital. ”
This scenario of instant escalation to tasers is becoming all-too-common in Vermont and elsewhere.
In 2008, the VT Attorney General’s investigation of back-to-back taser incidents in Brattleboro, resulted in the AG calling on the police in VT to implement escalation of force policies and training.
The history of taser use is not a pretty one. For more stories and information about tasers in Vermont, you may want to peruse some of the past GMD coverage:
Police use taser to subdue man experiencing seizures
Police using tasers “frequently”
Brattleboro Cops Use Taser on Handcuffed Protesters
Sorrell on tasers: “The police blew it.”
Brian Dubie Says Stun Guns Are Nonlethal
Valley News floods the zone on the Taser story