Since the trial began on 1 September 2006 to 30 January 2007 there have been a total of 56 incidents involving the taser including 8 incidents where the taser has been discharged. Since the last update on 5 December 06, the following incidents involving tasers have been recorded.
Friday 8 December - A police officer in Auckland called for assistance to arrest a person who was resisting and whose threatening behaviour was escalating. Another officer presented the taser and laser painted the person who immediately complied with the officer's requests.
Saturday 9 December - A fight had broken out in Manurewa involving thirty people and baseball bats. On the arrival of police the group dispersed running through local properties. One offender was apprehended as he appeared around a corner and was laser painted by an officer and complied immediately with request to drop to the ground. A second offender was caught climbing over a fence and was laser painted. He complied immediately. The officer involved, who was alone at that point, waited for back up to arrive before restraining the males.
Saturday 9 December - Police were informed that a man was seen in the Wellington suburb of Newlands in possession of kitchen knives and razor blades. A dog handler and another officer with a taser deholstered entered the house and called on the man to walk into the hall with his hands raised. This he did and no further use of the taser was required.
Monday 11 December - Police were called to an address in Mt Albert, Auckland in response to a complaint of a breach of a Protection Order. The man was eventually located at his address, locked in a room and threatening to kill himself. Police managed to talk him out of his room. The man became aggressive and attempted to return to the room where a large knife was in plain view on the bed. Three police officers attempted to restrain him before he could reach the knife but were unable to apply handcuffs. There was concern about the amount of blood being lost by the man due to self inflicted wounds. The taser was deployed in the drive-stun mode directly to the man's leg which incapacitated him to enable handcuffs to be applied. He was taken to hospital for treatment and charged for a breach of a protection order and intentional damage.
Wednesday 13 December - Members of a family of a person who had failed to appear as a witness in Auckland District Court were actively resisting police in the arrest of that person. A brother of the witness became extremely abusive and obstructive to the arrest procedure. He was warned about his behaviour but persisted and was arrested. During the arrest he struggled violently and assaulted police. The taser was deployed and after further warnings, the man was laser painted. He pulled his hands around quickly and was handcuffed. He was charged with assault, resisting arrest and disorderly behaviour.
Wednesday 13 December - Police were called to an aggravated robbery in Auckland involving five people and the presentation of a knife and a screwdriver. The offenders fled the scene. Two were located hiding under a vehicle with their arms concealed. Due to the possibility of both people being armed the taser was deholstered and shown to the offenders who co-operated. The two offenders, when asked about the presentation of the taser, said they recognised it and co-operated as a consequence.
Saturday 23 December - Police were dispatched to a domestic incident in a Wellington suburb where a man was reported to be intoxicated, on drugs and smashing up property in the house. The complainant had left the house fearing for his safety and was on the street waiting for police. Police knocked on the door and asked the man to come out of the house. He was told police were in possession of a taser. The man came out and sat on the door step to talk over with police what had happened.
Saturday 23 December - Police were called to domestic incident in South Auckland where a man was armed with a knife. Witnesses advised that prior to the arrival of Police the man had threatened to enter the property and kill his partner. The subject was called upon to put the knife down while being laser painted with the taser. Although he complied he would not move away from the knife. Police approached knocking the subject backwards away from the knife where he could be restrained safely.
Tuesday 26 December - A man was walking down a street in Henderson holding a rifle. He had told his partner that he wanted to "take out a cop" and that he wanted to be killed by police. Attending police determined that immediate action was required. He was approached by police and told to drop the weapon, which he refused to do. There was concern that the man might enter a house and take a hostage. The decision was made to deploy the taser. Having not heeded police warnings he was tasered. The trigger was pulled a second time to enable police to safely restrain the man.
Tuesday 26 December - A man was found lying on a traffic island in Manurewa. When approached by police he sat up and presented two knives. The man placed one of the knives near his abdomen and threatened to cut himself. Police negotiated with him until an officer with a taser and a dog handler arrived. The taser was subsequently presented at the man who cooperated immediately.
Wednesday 17 January - During an arrest being under taken by AOS in Wellington a pit bull dog ran at officers when the subject exited the house. The dog was sprayed twice with OC Spray with no effect. The offender was advised the taser would be used against the dog if it was not controlled, however he made no move to control the animal. The taser was discharged against the dog as it advanced towards officers and a Police dog. Probes made contact with the dog, deterring any further attack.
Thursday 18 January - Police were called to an address in South Auckland where an intoxicated male was attempting to stab his partner. He was armed with a large butcher's knife. Several family members had taken refuge in a van parked in the driveway of the address. The male was attempting to get inside the van to attack the people taking refuge there. When confronted by Police the man denied having the knife. As the man had warrants for several assaults, was intoxicated and was in possession of a knife the taser was presented at the man with Laser Painting activated. Shortly after the man became compliant, dropped the knife and allowed himself to be handcuffed.
Friday 26 January - Police attended a domestic incident where two females were fighting. As Police were dealing with one of the female subjects her father approached making threats to Police. Due to the level of aggression and threats, staff drew the taser and gave the male a warning. He continued to come forward still yelling abuse and behaving aggressively. The officer again laser painted him and brought this to the male's attention. The male stopped where he was but continued yelling abuse and raising his hands. With further communication the subject calmed down somewhat but did not at any stage become fully cooperative. He was subsequently arrested on warrants to arrest for male assaults female.
Monday 29 January - A gang member who suffers from schizophrenia went to an address where the occupants were unknown to him and stabbed the male occupant with a knife in the chest area. He then left the address throwing bricks at the house before leaving. The subject was located by a Police officer who was working alone. When he was challenged about the whereabouts of the knife he tried to run away and was narrowly missed by oncoming traffic. During the pursuit the sole officer used his OC Spray when the opportunity presented itself, however the spray missed the subject as he started to run in the direction of the road again. The officer then used the taser to attempt to stop the man from getting away and running into traffic. Two probes connected to his back and he was brought to the ground on the grass verge. After the first trigger pull he attempted to get up and run away again and the trigger was pulled a second time. Moments later 2 other officers arrived to assist in searching and handcuffing the man. No injuries were received by officers or the subject.
ENDS