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Police get shocking weapon photo by Joe Mayr New Tasers are expected to reduce need to use deadly force By Jessica Smith Some criminals in Medford are in for quite a shock. Medford police will soon carry Taser stun guns, giving officers a tool to stop a criminal threat without resorting to deadly force. The guns, which discharge 50,000 volts of electricity when fired, are intended to temporarily immobilize suspects, giving officers enough time to take the person into custody, according to Sgt. Robert Hansen. "It hasn�t been tested on the streets yet, but when it is, I think we�ll be happy with the results," Hansen said. "We truly think this is going to work." Incidents such as the police shooting of Cole Smith in December, where officers were unable to subdue the man with other less lethal instruments, influenced the department�s decision, Hansen said. Smith was shot more than 20 times outside the Oregon State Police headquarters in Central Point after he held officers at bay for about 90 minutes. He told them he had a gun and was prepared to kill someone. Although a Taser may not have changed the outcome in Smith�s case, the device will give officers another option before taking their firearms from their holsters. Medford officers already carry chemical sprays, steel batons and shotguns loaded with bean-bag rounds, all less-than-lethal weapons. Medford police purchased seven of the $400 stun guns. Other local law enforcement agencies also use Tasers, including the Jackson County Sheriff�s Office and the Ashland Police Department. Shady Cove police plan to seek City Council approval for Taser use there. To be effective, the Tasers must be fired within 21 feet of the subject. When fired, a cartridge releases two inch-long probes attached to fine wires. The probes stick to the subject�s clothing or skin with slightly barbed hooks. The probes channel electricity to the body, temporarily shorting out the nervous system. The Tasers also work when the gun is pressed directly to a suspect�s clothes or skin. At a training and demonstration Wednesday, several Medford officers got the shock treatment. "It hurt," said Medford police Detective Ray Leach, who volunteered to be zapped. "While I managed to stay standing, I don�t think I could have much longer without someone holding on to me. There�s no question I would have ended up on the ground." At the sheriff�s office, the new Tasers have been in use since May. Officers have fired the stun guns about five times, mostly in the jail, said Sgt. Terry Wilson. The county has used Tasers since the 1980s, but Wilson said the newer models pack a bigger punch. A pulsing charge surges through the body at a rate of about 30 beats per second, officials say. Muscles immediately constrict and subjects generally cannot control their bodies. Within seconds, however, subjects regain full mobility. "When it�s done, your legs will be kind of shaky but you�re feeling perfectly fine," said Dave Osborne, a Shady Cove officer who tested the Taser. "A day or two later, my legs were a little stiff like I had a tough workout." Other side effects include vertigo, involuntary muscle spasms and short-term memory loss. Police say they don�t want the public to be afraid of the devices, they just want people to be aware the guns will be used. "We�re not going to go out and electrocute people. We�re not going to go terrorize the community or torture anyone," Hansen said. "It�s just a way we can take someone into custody without having to use lethal force because that�s the last thing we want to do." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA