Taser the latest weapon in Troop C’s arsenal

For the first time in state police Louisiana State Police Troop C’s history, the patrol division has been outfitted with a new sidearm: the X26 Taser.

The entire division underwent a four-day training class last week to acquaint troopers with the Taser.

“We showed them all the effects of what the Taser is going to do to a violator through a slideshow presentation, and they are tested on the information to pass the certification process,” said instructor Trooper Craig Stewart.

Troopers are not required to get shocked to be permitted to carry the sidearm, which resembles a small pistol. However, several troopers volunteered to physically endure the pain of being shocked. The instructor used the device to deliver a high-voltage, low-amp shock, temporarily incapacitating troopers just as it would a hostile subject.

Stewart said the non-lethal device works in several different ways. An officer may either fire two darts, each connected to a copper wire, at a target up to 35 feet away or the gun can be pressed directly against a suspect’s body to deliver a momentarily stunning cycle of electricity, which is generated by the Taser’s battery pack.

“The darts remain connected to the suspect until removed by an officer, allowing the shooter to continue to shock the subject if he or she remains volatile,” Stewart said.

Until the recent addition of the Taser, state troopers relied on chemical spray to incapacitate offenders that resist arrest, said Troop C spokesman Gilbert Dardar Jr.

Under state police guidelines, troopers are authorized to use a Taser if a suspect is actively resisting instructions, Dardar explained. This could include anything from running away from police to a suspect refusing to put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed, to an all-out tussle with an officer.

All major law enforcement agencies are authorized to carry Tasers, including Thibodaux and Houma Police and Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Offices.

Dardar said he could recall several instances over his past five years on patrol when having a Taser would have been beneficial. “It would have helped me defuse situations before they got bad,” he said.