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Hamilton police add tasers to arsenal
By David Gilligan
Jou.....·News
HAMILTON

Crime suspects may be in
for a shock when the Hamilton Police Department
unveils the most recent addition to its nonlethal arsenal of
weapons ~ t.asers.
-There are times when
leUlsl force is necessary for
the safety of an officer or the
general public,~ said Sgt. Ed
BUllS, training supervisor.
"The tasera allow us to incapacitate a victim through
electric shock, without compromising the 8afet~ of the
officer or the suspect.
The M26 air taser delivers 26
watts of electricity to the 8USpect through two tiny needles
that can be shot from 21 feet
away, Buns said. The current is
transported over two electric
wires connecting the power
source inside the gun and the
needles, he said. The l.6-soo:;md
shock disropts the muscular
movements of its target, disabling the suspect. he said.
-Conventional stun guns
require you to be in close contact with the suspe<:t, 80 (Illy
number of things cun go
wrong: Buns said. ~,],hc
tasers allow us to keep our
distance, decreasing the
challcelOof .something gOlOg
wrong in a nonlethal wuy,~
The gun is powered by eight
M batteries and even has a
dala port that can I.ransmit
firing information to a computer. The weapon also has
clearly marked yellow and
black sl.ripes down the barrel,
80 officers can determine
whnt weapon another officer
is using.
Buns on Fridur demonstrated the weapoll 8 capabilities by firing at a me\..allic
shooting target. The blue
light of el()ctricity crnckled
throughout the entire target
as the needles slammed deadon into its center.
Buns said there have been

--

Hamilton police Sgt. Steve Ebbing shows the M26 air taser to Officer cana Holzhauer Te1:ently.
The 40 tasers the department purchased deliver 26 watts of electricity to a suspect from up to
21 feet away, providing a nonlethal alternative to suppntSs • dangerous SUbJect.
no reports of death or severe
injury associated with the
use of the M26 from any law
enforcement agency that
deploys the weapon.
Other nonlethal weapons
include benn bag rounds fired
from a shotgun. but those can
still injure a suspect. he said.
"Tascrs (lI'C Just another
less lethal option in the officer's equipment to reduce the
risk of inju?, to both officer
and suspect. Mid Cnpl. Steve

Pouleman06.
The depa.rtment spent
$31,000 from the federalloeal
law enforcement block grant
to purchase 40 tasers and
1,500 cartridges, Buns said.
Each cartridge fires one
round.
Section supervisors will be
subject to an eight-hour training course on the use of the
M26, while the remaining
officers will receive instruction at their mandatory bian·

nual in-service training in
September, he said.
Said Chief Neil Ferdelman,
·We thought this was a
tremendous purchase, partie.'
ulady for our taxpayers
because it all comes from federal grant money
-In light of the increased
awareness across the country
on use of force tactics, the
tasers prevent lethal force and
keep the officer, suspect and
the public free from danger.~