Page 95 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Winter 2015

An Ongoing Series

Taser and Conducted Energy Weapons

Thomas G. LeClair, CD, BA, ACP, EMT-T; Tony Meriano, MD

CONCEPTS AND OBJECTIVES
The series objective is to review various clinical con- As the team makes entry, the suspect charges at the of-
ditions/presentations, including the latest evidence on ficers with a bat. The first officer deploys a Taser (Taser
®
management, and to dispel common myths. In the pro- International, http://www.taser.com), which hits the sus-
cess, core knowledge and management principles are pect in the abdomen and thigh and drops him to the
enhanced. A clinical case will be presented. Cases will ground. He continues to fight with the arresting officers
be drawn from real life but phrased in a context that is but, after a few minutes, they are able to handcuff and
applicable to the Special Operations Forces (SOF) or restrain him, first prone and then on his side. Despite
tactical emergency medical support (TEMS) environ- being restrained, the suspect continues to scream, spit,
ment. Details will be presented in such a way that the and thrash about. As the medic, the team calls you up to
reader can follow along and identify how they would assess the individual to see if he is fit for cells.
manage the case clinically depending on their experi-
ence and environment situation. Commentary will be This case illustrates how a Taser conducted electrical
provided by currently serving military medical techni- weapon (CEW) can be an effective control tool for civil-
cians. The medics and author will draw on their SOF ian tactical and patrol officers. It also has application for
experience to communicate relevant clinical concepts modern military forces conducting low-intensity conflict
pertinent to different operational environments includ- in complex urban terrain. This utility of a CEW to mini-
ing SOF and TEMS. Commentary and input from ac- mize collateral casualties and maintain fragile coalition
tive special operations medical technicians will be part relationships has also received recognition. The use of
1
of the feature. a CEW to overcome physical resistance is a significantly
advanced force option compared to the historical wooden
Keywords: Taser; conducted energy weapons truncheon or baton. This installment of Clinical Corner
will briefly examine Taser technology, its actual and per-
ceived risks, sudden custody death, and some clinical
guidance for best outcomes in high-risk circumstances.
Clinical Presentation
As a tactical paramedic assigned to a law enforcement Understanding the Taser
tactical unit, you have been called out to a scene. A
28-year-old man is holed up in a house. He is screaming To understand the potential for Taser injury, you first
incoherently and appears very agitated. He is not known need to know that the device may be used in either “drive
to be armed but is extremely violent and has already as- stun” or “probe” mode. In drive stun mode, the CEW
saulted two people. The tactical operations officer plans may be deployed without the projectile probe cartridge.
to try to subdue this individual with less-lethal means. Instead, metal contacts positioned on the face of the
The team has at its disposal the following tools: pepper CEW are “driven” against soft-tissue pressure points of
spray, batons, K-9 units, and conducted electrical weap- a subject to gain control by means of pain compliance to
ons (CEWs), also called conducted electrical devices. Be- voice commands. As such, it is far less likely to achieve
cause of his unpredictable state and the potential for a control of individuals who are drunk, drugged, or de-
prolonged barricade, the team has decided on stand-off ranged. More commonly, the drive stun mode is used
deployment of a CEW, followed by rapid physical con- to contact a subject and complete the circuit when one
trol of the individual by a three-man arrest team. of the probes has missed the intended target (Figure 1).

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