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FAONT~GE

I'm Shocked!

North Idaho College security officer Roger Kehew feels the effects of a one-secqnd
gun. The non-lethal weapon fires two probes 21 feet that stun the central neIVous
uncontrollable contractions. Seven NIC securlt\' officers had to experience how til<!
firsthand before being authorized to carry the Taser.

CoeUR O'ALENE.' IOAHO

LATE. O'-T. 2.002.

NEWS/OPINION

M!ke GrelZ/The 5en1lnel

Security officers now possess taeer guns, whlcli propel 21 feet of electronic wire once ftred. The wire
temporarily paralyzes Its vlctlm after hooking onto his clothes, digs Into his skin and gives a severe
shock.

Security officers trained
to carry M26 Taser guns
Effort to better
protect campus
by Linda Ball
- Staff 'Miter-

Firearms are Dot an option for
the campus security department.
More often than not though, they
are the first responders to
pOlentially volatile situations. In an
effort to beller protect the campus
and its security officers, nine
officers have been trained and
equipped with the M26 Taser.
The weapon looks like a gun. It is
laser sighted, with a projection of
tip 10 21 feel. The M26 is Ihe most
powerful of the tasers. There is a
civilian model used primarily by
private security agencies that fires
up to 15 feel. The M26 is the same
model thaI many police
departments use. The M26 was
introduced into use in 1999.

When fired, two probes
connected to the taser by insulated
wires are projected. The weapon
affects the central nervous system
by imitating the electrical impulses
llsed to communicate within the
human body. A hit anywhere on the
bod)' can do the trick.
"The electrical charge will go
through up to two·and·a·half inches
of clothing," said Lead Security
Officer Bob Thomson. "The laser
sighting is sort of an intimidating
fador as well. JUSI having a laser
sighl (red dot) on them often
makes Ihem (the perpetrator) give
up."
He said thaI if shot OIL bare skin,
the probes only go in a ma:<imum of
a quarter inch. While a shol from
the M26 totally incapacitates the
perpetrator, recovery is almost
instantaneous wilh no permanent
damage. Thomson likened it to a
bad muscle cramp in your entire
body. Nonetheless, these are
serious weapons and any violent

confrontation carries with it the
risk that someone could get hurl.
All of the security officers trained
to carry tbe M26 had to experience
it themselves. Campus Safety
Director Mike Halpern and
Thomson were trained first, passing
tbe certified instructors course at
the Spokane Police Training Ceotel
this summer. They then trained
seven other officers Oct. 4.
Watching a video of some officers
being trained and receiving a shot
from the M26, it seems pretly clear
that it works. Every time Ihe M26 is
fired, it stores the time and date
when it was fired, protecting the
officer from claims of excessive
force by providing documentation.
"While we have an excellent
response from the city and county
law enforcement agencies. our
security officers are generally the
first responders to an incident,"
Halpern said. "They need to have
the proper tools to do their job and
not be placed at risk:

Baise, 10
IDAHO STATESMAN
101.1
Mit A,..

SUN 87,2(&

Sund.,
OCT

S, 2002

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P 2 1S4
L!I L!lU!lPR/~'SS CLIPPINGS

College security
orders stun guns
COEUR D'ALENE - Campus security officers at North
Idaho College have ordered a
batch of electronic stun guns as
a way to use non-lethal force in
some circumstances.

The school plans to issue
eight Advancet,T~~J M26 energy weapons
5 sentor security officers as soon as they
are trained in its use.
"lms is a non-lethal weapon,"
said Mike Halpern. campus safety director.
The Ta,er is a pistol-shaped
stun gun that flfes a pair of wires
up to 21 feet and incapacitates
a person with a high-voltage
electrical charge. Barbs are attached when the wires pierce
the skin, and they C3n penetrate
up to 2 inches of clothing.
The Tasers witl be used instead of firearms. which are
banned on the campus. Until
now, the officers have only had
pepper spray.