14 DAY TRIAL // Papers appearing in the latest issues of the journals Justice Quarterly and Police Quarterly indicate that the widespread use of stun guns by law enforcement officials makes them safer from perpetrators, while at the same time increasing the frequency and severity of injuries among targeted suspects.
The investigation was conducted exclusively on conducted energy devices (CED), which police officers took a liking to several years back. Their use of such weapons against multiple categories of suspects has been widely debated in the United States.
“The bottom line is there in an increased risk to citizens. On the other hand, the devices increase the safety of officers when used as the sole method of restraint. In essence, we have to consider the costs of citizen harm versus benefits of officer safety,” says Gene Paoline.
He holds an appointment as an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Central Florida, and is also an author on one of the studies. Paoline explains that 41 percent of cases where CED were used resulted in citizen injuries, EurekAlert reports.