Community Pondering Whether To Allow County Jailers The Use Of Tasers
A state police officer called Tasers an “excellent” tool that help save lives.
But a Raton woman took an entirely different position. Monica Saenz lost her brother, Jesse Saenz, in 2007 after he was shot 23 times with a Taser by Raton officers while he was reportedly shackled.
“Tasers pose a threat to society. They shouldn’t be taken lightly. There are many lives at stake,” Saenz told a forum at Luna Community College on Thursday.
More than 50 people attended the meeting, which was sponsored by the San Miguel County Commission, which is pondering whether to allow county jailers and sheriff’s deputies to use the electroshock weapons.
Two commissioners, David Salazar June Garcia, both of whom have questioned the use of Tasers, were in the audience. So was the pro-Taser sheriff, Benjie Vigil, who has tangled with county management over the issue.
State police Sgt. Robert Thornton told the audience that he was certified to use Tasers three years ago and has used the device four times and witnessed its use in two other instances.
He said Tasers increase the safety of officers and others. Rather than using a gun, officers can get control of a situation with Tasers, he said.
For instance, he said he has never had to use his baton, which can cause many more injuries than a Taser.
“This baton will break bones and cause serious damage,” he said, pointing to the weapon. “I’ve never used it in eight years with the state police, and I haven’t seen anyone else use it.”
Thornton said the state police have procedures for the use of Tasers and only deploy them when absolutely needed. He noted that a computer chip records every time they’re used, information that can’t be manipulated by officers.
Saenz said she was against the weapons.
“Tasers are taking more lives than they’re saving,” said Saenz, who, along with other family members, wore black shirts in memory of Jesse Saenz. “We’ll never be able to hold Jesse again. All we have are photographs.”
The photos of Jesse Saenz’s body speak for themselves, she said.
“When you see them, all you see are torture,” she said.
She said her unarmed brother didn’t resist arrest, noting that the case is in litigation.
Bruce Swingle, the loss prevention manager for the New Mexico Association of Counties, touted the benefits of Tasers, saying they help reduce the large number of assaults against officers in New Mexico.
“Officers need an intermediate type of weapon (like Tasers),” he said.
He said assaults against officers result in millions of dollars in costs for the state’s counties. He suggested that many people who have died after Taser incidents may have had complicating factors such as drug and alcohol use.
At the same time, Swingle suggested that counties have policies in place for the use of Tasers and that officers have certifications to deploy them.
“Are there abuses with Tasers? Yes, there will be abuses. How an agency deals with it is important,” he said.
Pat Leahan of the Las Vegas Peace and Justice Center talked about the many deaths as the result of Tasers, with a reported two-thirds of victims unarmed. She referred to the concept of “Taser creep,” in which officers begin to use the weapons in more and more situations.
She said a big problem is when law enforcement agencies have policies that allow Tasers to be used at the wrong point in a situation.
“I’m a strong advocate for officer safety,” she said.
Source: Las Vegas Optic News
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