OTTAWA-CARLETON REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
Tactical Unit
USE OF FORCE POLICY
TASER less lethal option
1.

The acronym ‘TASER,’ when used within the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Police Service
documents, refers to the electrical pulse wave technology systems that are manufactured by
either Tasertron or TASER International.

2.

The TASER is designed to be a less lethal system. They are hand held electronic
immobilization systems specifically designed to control a violent and/or aggressive subject.
Once TASER contact is made, with the subject that needs to be controlled, the TASER
delivers a metered and pulsed electrical current which results in involuntary muscle spasms
and a loss of motor control. This causes the subject to become incapacitated, therefor
allowing police the opportunity to gain control of the subject.

3.

Only those members of the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Police Service who have been trained
and certified in the use and deployment of the TASER, shall be authorized to carry and use
the TASER while on duty.

4.

The TASER units which are issued by the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Police Service, are
prohibited from being carried or used while off duty.

5.

The decision to deploy the TASER less lethal option may be determined by the tactical
officer in charge of the scene, or during confrontation with the subject, by the tactical officer
involved.

6.

The TASER shall only be used on those subjects that an officer has reasonable and probable
grounds to believe, is a danger to themselves and/or others, and needs to be immediately
controlled, and the officer believes the subject will be, or has been, actively
aggressive/assaultive towards police or others, or poses a threat to the officer, or others, of
serious bodily harm or death, and other force options available to police may not be suitable.

7.

The following steps are to be followed when using the TASER on a subject:
1.

Prior to the TASER being used, there should be at least one cover officer
present, where appropriate and reasonable to do so, to assist the officer who
is using the TASER. An officer, when justified, will fire one set of darts at
the subject. The metered electrical pulse will be activated for no longer then
10 seconds, or until the subject has been controlled (which ever comes first).

2.

If control of the subject has not been obtained within 10 seconds, the officer

should consider that the first set of darts have either missed or failed to work.

8.

9.

3.

If the subject has failed to be controlled with the first set of darts, than the
officer may discharge a second set of darts at the subject, if appropriate and
reasonable to do so. The metered electrical pulse will be activated for no
longer then 10 seconds, or until the subject has been controlled (which ever
comes first).

4.

If control of a subject has not been obtained within 10 seconds after the
application of the second set of darts, consider the TASER to be ineffective
in controlling the subject and move to an alternate/appropriate force option to
gain control.

Once the subject has been controlled through the use of the TASER, officer(s) should make
every effort to do the following when appropriate and reasonable to do so:
1.

Immediately handcuff the subject behind their back

2.

Advise the subject that they have been tasered and that the effects are only
short term

3.

Monitor the subject and contact ambulance service to attend the
scene/location. Advise the ambulance attendants that the subject was tasered,
and that the subject be transported to a hospital to be examined by a
emergency room physician.

4.

Police officers shall not remove darts that have punctured the skin of the
subject and have remained imbedded. This shall be done by a qualified
medical staff. If the darts have only penetrated clothing and are not
imbedded in the subject, the officer is now authorized to remove the darts
prior to transporting the subject to the hospital.

The ‘TASER Statistic Report’ form must be completed in detail after being deployed where
it was used as a use of force presence, or discharged to cause a motor dysfunction. The
original will be forwarded with the occurrence report and a copy will stay will the Tactical
Units occurrence report.