County Police Nix Use Of High-Voltage Devices
Due to lack of shootouts and other situations in Georgia’s Richmond County, police officers are authorized to use pepper spray and batons against unruly suspects but not stun guns or Tasers, says sheriff’s Maj. Ken Autry.
“Agencies that do [use them] are confronted with shootings every day,” he maintains. Tasers are not used in North Augusta, Ga. due to the successful use of non-lethal pepper spray and “soft hands” to adequately control dangerous situations, explains North Augusta Capt. Bill Luckey, who adds that deciding what kind of force to use to subdue violent people is a tough call.
“Police officers, in general, have split seconds to make decisions that can affect them for the rest of their life,” he notes. Pepper spray, in Luckey’s opinion, is the most effective non-lethal weapon he has seen in nearly three decades.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Augusta Chronicle (03/10/04) P. B1; Craig, Jeremy.