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Tasers. I saw one used across the street from me a while back. While I was sceptical of the amount that my small town city government spent on them at first, I was sold after seeing one in use. Given that the situation was put down without anyone in the neighborhood getting hurt or any property damage I can see their use now.
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They're amazing! I've seen them used too, and at the Police Academy you have to be shot with the 5-second setting of the gun before being certified to use it as an officer. Talk about having a taste of your own medicine. They're incredibly powerful and have been shown to work in many situations where subduing someone is incredibly important. There was a case here where a mentally handicapped citizen charged a police officer with a knife. In ordinary circumstances, his only reaction would be to drawn down and shoot the man. However, with a taser he was able to stop him dead in his tracks without injuring him (aside from the teeny burn marks from the hooks).
That said.. I know the jurisdiction that I live in prohibits using a taser-gun when a suspect presents a firearm. This makes sense to me.. you dont want a dead officer and a suspect with two guns. In this situation, I think using a taser gun would have not only been reckless but put more officers in danger.