NORTH TONAWANDA POLICE DEPT. ADVANCED TASER SOP
G. Advanced Taser® new 6/00
The use of the Taser® is a legal right granted to Police Officers as an alternative force in those
situations where its use is justifiable and necessary.
1. The use of the Taser® will be limited to the degree of force which is reasonably necessary to provide
protection for the Officer, the subject, a third party, and/or to effect a legal arrest.
2. An officer after receiving a "Certificate of Competency" from an authorized Taser® instructor shall be
permitted to utilize a Taser®.
3. A Taser® will be secured in the Supervisor's patrol vehicle, when not in use, and will be the
responsibility of the shift supervisor. Another Taser® will be kept accessible in the gun cabinet for backup and use by certified ERT members.
4. The Taser® is not a replacement for the firearm and should not be used without firearm back-up in
those incidents where there is a potential threat towards the Officers or third parties involved in the
incident.
5. The Taser® is not to be used where there is a known possibility of pregnancy with the subject
involved.
6. In all cases where the Taser® is used on a subject, a Subject Management Report (NT33) will be
submitted prior to the end of the Officer's tour of duty on which it use used.
a. Included on the NT33 will be the point of contact made by the Taser® probes upon the subject,
whether penetration of the skin was made, and any medical attention that was provided
7. If the Taser® is used to gain control of a subject, after he/she is restrained, the subject will be
transported to the Emergency Room under the following conditions:
a. Embedded Probes - An extra Taser® probe with an intact barb will be kept in the Taser® case at all
times as a visual reference for EMS personnel required to extract an embedded probe.
b. The request of the subject for medical treatment
c. At the direction of the Officer in Charge
d. Officers should obtain a copy of the medical release or waiver of treatment from the attending EMS
personnel.
8. Collect the expended Taser® cartridge and probes as evidence and clearly label as to biohazard. The
probes may be safely contained by inverting them into the cartridge bores and taping them in place.