Local law enforcement agencies say they will maintain use of non-lethal Taser guns despite a warning released from the Arizona-based stun gun company on Oct. 12.

Taser International released a statement alerting law enforcement that directly shooting a stun gun poses an extremely low risk of “an adverse cardiac event.”

“The Taser is one of the best tools given to law enforcement for their protection,” Sheriff Dale Furr said.

According to Furr, deputies at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office use 50,000-volt stun guns and he says that they will continue to use them.

“If you can do anything to avoid using a gun, everyone is better off,” Furr said.

Furr also said that the Taser is the last step prior to having to use a firearm.

“They (Tasers) are a better tool for officers, and suspects, than any other impact weapon or chemical weapon,” Rockingham Police Chief Robert Voorhees said.

Voorhees says he recalls at least three instances in Rockingham in which an officer chose a Taser over a firearm to quell a suspect who was in possession of a firearm themselves.

“Whatever tool law enforcement uses has always come under this kind of scrutiny,” Voorhees said.

The use of the stun guns have saved lives, according to Furr. Instances when a suspect is searching for a “suicide by cop” scenario, their lives can be spared if law enforcement officials use the Taser gun.

According to Voorhees, he says that there has been no proof of Tasers being a lethal weapon and in most cases in which a suspect is harmed, besides simply being shocked, other substances or factors may have contributed.

“Suspect injury has gone way down since taser use began,” Voorhees said.

According to Taser International’s Oct. 15 Training Memo, the recent training bulletin should not be interpreted as a significant change in how the products should be used. The recommendations should be viewed as best practices that mitigate risk management issues resulting in more effective deployments while maximizing safety considerations such as avoiding face, neck and chest/breast shots.

In addition, the bulletin states that the Taser can still be deployed in the chest during an event in which the user cannot aim anywhere else or when “legally justified.”

“You can’t always pick your target,” Furr said.

Both the Rockingham Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office require those who use a Taser to go through extensive training, which include class time, hands-on training and even requires them to be tased.

Tied into the training, officers are taught to stand back, if possible, eight to 10 feet from the suspect when tasing and to aim for the trunk of the body since according to Furr, it works on the muscles.

Voorhees also said that the officers with the Rockingham Police Department go through an annual training module for re-certification for use of the Taser.

n Staff writer Bryan Stewart can be reached at 997-3111 ext. 15, or by e-mail at bstewart@yourdailyjournal.com.