Taser saved lives, Proved value in Lower Hutt

Tasers undoubtedly saved lives and proved their value when officers were able to immediately and safely subdue an armed and enraged man who had stabbed his three young children multiple times, Police Association President Greg O’Connor said today.

“Without the Taser, it would not have been possible to deal rapidly, decisively and safely with the offender,” Greg O’Connor said.

“The only other option that would have allowed officers to give immediate attention to the children, who were near death, would have been to shoot the offender. Had that happened, the offender would almost certainly now be dead, and the officer forced to fire the fatal shot would have had their life and career turned upside down.”

The incident in February this year, for which the offender was yesterday sentenced to 15 years in prison, took place in Lower Hutt – within the Wellington Police District, one of the districts involved at that time in the year long Taser trial.

“There is no question that availability of the Taser saved lives in this case. It also saved a police officer from having to make the decision every officer dreads – using lethal force – and being faced with the inevitable media scrutiny, and the personal and professional consequences of that decision for the rest of their lives,” Mr O’Connor said.

“The offender’s lawyer himself acknowledged the Taser’s value yesterday. As more and more people come to realise that this device saves lives, it will be seen as a vital part of the Police toolkit in keeping themselves and the public safe,” said Mr O’Connor.