Taser Saved Lives, Proved Value In Lower Hutt
Tasers undoubtedly saved lives and proved their value when officers were able to immediately and safely subdue an armed
and enraged man who had stabbed his three young children multiple times, Police Association President Greg O’Connor said
today.
“Without the Taser, it would not have been possible to deal rapidly, decisively and safely with the offender,” Greg
O’Connor said.
“The only other option that would have allowed officers to give immediate attention to the children, who were near
death, would have been to shoot the offender. Had that happened, the offender would almost certainly now be dead, and
the officer forced to fire the fatal shot would have had their life and career turned upside down.”
The incident in February this year, for which the offender was yesterday sentenced to 15 years in prison, took place in
Lower Hutt – within the Wellington Police District, one of the districts involved at that time in the year long Taser
trial.
“There is no question that availability of the Taser saved lives in this case. It also saved a police officer from
having to make the decision every officer dreads – using lethal force – and being faced with the inevitable media
scrutiny, and the personal and professional consequences of that decision for the rest of their lives,” Mr O’Connor
said.
“The offender’s lawyer himself acknowledged the Taser’s value yesterday. As more and more people come to realise that
this device saves lives, it will be seen as a vital part of the Police toolkit in keeping themselves and the public
safe,” said Mr O’Connor.
ENDS