GILROY
– I was the first person
”
tased
”
by the Gilroy Police Department.
Call me morbidly curious, but when I heard that another Dispatch
reporter turned down a chance to be the officers’ guinea pig to
test out their new TASER X26, I quickly volunteered.
GILROY – I was the first person “tased” by the Gilroy Police Department.
Call me morbidly curious, but when I heard that another Dispatch reporter turned down a chance to be the officers’ guinea pig to test out their new TASER X26, I quickly volunteered.
Everyone, even if they don’t want to experience a TASER shock first-hand, wants to know: Is it painful? Does it really incapacitate a person? Will it be effective out on the street?
My short answer to all these questions is, yes.
I found out Wednesday morning that Gilroy police could ”tase” me that afternoon. I didn’t start getting nervous until I was actually in the GPD lobby, when my mind began replaying videos I’ve seen of officers getting ”tased.” Their muscles tensed, they screamed, their legs gave out.
Gilroy Police Investigator Pedro Espinoza, one of the officers who participated in TASER training with another department and will train officers here, brought me up to speed on what I could expect from the shock.
The TASER X26 delivers a 50,000-volt shock for five seconds that briefly immobilizes a person. It can be pressed against a person’s body to shock them. Or, it can be loaded with projectile cartridges that fire two barbed metal prongs up to 21 feet that stick in clothing or skin.
I was surprised to find a dozen officers there to watch the action: I learned only Espinoza and Officer Joseph Deras completed training, received a shock themselves and were able to give one.
Assistant Police Chief Lanny Brown gave me the option of getting shot from behind with the prongs or receiving the shock through conduits attached to my clothing. Since this was the first time the officers would see a ”tasing,” I decided to let them shoot me for the full effect.
Sgt. John Sheedy brought me a U.S. Postal Service shirt to wear and he and Brown held my arms to keep me from falling when the shock – the five-second shock – weakened my muscles.
Just before Espinoza began his “one, two, three” countdown, I saw the TASER gun’s laser sight move across the floor. I bent my knees and told myself to stay standing and not to scream.
With a loud “pop,” I felt a searing pain in the center of my back. Instantly, my back muscles involuntarily contracted. It felt like the painful leg cramps that sometimes wake you up in the night.
My eyes closed and I saw stars. My jaw clenched and my face contorted into a grimace. The volts coursed through my body, making my arms and legs tingle, feeling limp and useless. I could hear electricity buzz and crack. The last few instants were a little less intense, but I couldn’t move and wanted the uncomfortable feeling to be over. Surprisingly, I was able to think clearly, but my mind had no control over my body.
After the shock, it took a couple seconds before I was sure I could stand and move around on my own. The pain was mostly gone, but a barb had penetrated my skin and was stuck in my back. I’ve got the hole to prove it.
The officers were full of questions about how it felt and whether I could have fought through the shock. Even if I had wanted to, I wouldn’t have been able to move in any way during those five seconds. I did stay on my feet, but only because I was ready, standing still and had two officers at my sides.
I found out afterward that I received a training shot, so if it had been the real thing, both barbs would have penetrated my skin. Thank goodness that didn’t happen, or you can be sure I would’ve let out a scream.
As an option besides pepper spray and batons, TASER guns to me seem a highly effective and even slightly more humane use of force.
The shock itself is as unappealing to me as a hit from a baton, but the difference is, one shock will take someone down, whether they want to go or not.
Gilroy police officers will receive TASER training today and Saturday and will have the option of being ”tased.”
All I can say is, be ready for the most uncomfortable physical sensation possible and thanks for letting me feel what it’s really like.
