Taser Trial Puts Green MP In A Tizz

Wednesday, 28 February 2007, 6:36 pm
Article: Kevin List

Taser Trial Puts Green MP In A Tizz

This morning Green MP Keith Locke found himself momentarily fondling the electric stun gun known as the Taser at a Law and Order Select Committee meeting. The small yellow pacifier of the criminal classes resembles something that Buck Rogers may have used on an evil alien sometime in the 25th Century. After a Police Sergeant had outlined how it worked the Taser was passed around the various members of the select committee.

While some on the committee – particularly those prone to taking a hard line on law'n'order - lovingly inspected the Police's latest weapon in the ongoing fight to save law abiding Kiwi's from potential mayhem Mr Locke hurriedly passed the Taser on before any photographers could get a well focussed shot of him holding it.

The benefits of the Taser were outlined by Rob Pope the Deputy Commissioner of Police to start proceedings off. Following Mr Pope's outline of how the last six months of a potentially Tasered New Zealand had gone there was a couple of short videos which showed members of the Police explaining how the Taser was going to assist them in their duties. Then it was time to see the Taser in all it's flourescent yellow glory. Members of the committee were able to leave the room in the happy knowledge that if an evil perpetrator of mayhem was missed by a law enforcement officer it was still possible to dry stun the malefactor once they were within arms length.

New Zealand First MP Ron Mark made the point that a number of Police had been injured in the last decade by 'friendly fire' when using firearms in the commission of their duties. Mr Mark seemed delighted that should a Taser's barb accidentally find itself in an officer's personage they would almost definitely be in a better state of health than on the receiving end of a Glock pistol.

The safety of the Police did not seem to be of much concern to Green MP Keith Locke however – he was at the select committee to make certain that 'bizzarely behaving' individuals who may have mental health problems were not about to be Tasered willy-nilly – in fact Mr Locke was opposed to the Taser being used at all. Mr Locke suggested 200 people who had been Tasered in the United States had died because of their Tasering.

The Police's medical expert Dr Peter Robinson suggested Mr Locke go and get the autopsies of these unlucky alleged Taser victims and stated that only one person had died after being Tasered in the US and that this was the result of a head injury after they fell.

A case involving a Taser being pointed at a gentleman who the Police wanted to have a word with and who managed to lurch towards them after being pepper sprayed was also of concern to Mr Locke. In Mr Locke's opinion the Taser may have been used to make someone comply with a Police request rather than to prevent harm or injury. Further answers were sought by Mr Locke on this case – presumably in the committee's report it will be possible to discover whether the pepper sprayed and 'Taser painted' gent was coming to shake the Police's hand or to cause potential mayhem.

Apart from Mr Locke's concern most members of the committee which comprised National, Labour and New Zealand First MP's seemed supportive of the Police's latest (allegedly) non-lethal tool in the arsenal against rampaging hoodlums. Labour MP Jill Pettis was however concerned at the prospect of pregnant women suffering a miscarriage after being Tasered – while this sad potential outcome was not entirely discounted it would seem that, as of late February 2007, all recipients of a Taserin' have been male.

Listen to Rob Pope give a quick overview of how the Taser Trial came about

Scoop Streaming Audio: Rob Pope Outlines the Taser Trial

Click here to download file (mp3)

Listen to Green MP Keith Locke fighting for those likely to be on the receiving end of a Taserin'

Scoop Streaming Audio: Green MP Questions the Police over the Taser

Click here to download file (mp3)

ENDS

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