GAINESVILLE, Tex. -- Law enforcement across the country has used tasers for years to subdue people that believe are threats. Police in Gainesville started to use some of their own this week, but with a twist. Their tasers have cameras, and authorities say it is a good way to know exactly what happened at the time the weapon was used. Daniel Gotera has more.
Authorities with Gainesville police say an incident involving an uncontrollable suspect injuring officers was the last straw when it came to deciding whether or not to use tasers. Now both the suspects and the officers themselves will be safer.
Eight officers were trained on the new Taser X-26 electronic control device on Wednesday. It features a 21-foot-range, charges of up to 1,200 volts every five seconds, and an infrared camera that will allow officers to record video of each situation in which it is used.
Starting Thursday morning, pairs of officers on each shift were handed a taser to take with them out on the streets. Gainesville police policy allows officers to use the device when they are physically threatened. But now, if an officer's actions are questioned, the video can be reviewed to determine if the taser was used appropriately.
"It’s going to be very clear as to why the device was used, and we've looked at several of the videos from it, and it’s a very clear image and it picks up the audio very well," Capt. Kevin Phillips of the Gainesville Police Department says.
The Sherman Police Department has been using tasers for about five or six years. Officials there say they have not had any problems with them and only use them on average about once a week.