Uttar Pradesh Police Chief takes on Taser gun shot !

Many would have read the newsitem on Taser in Uttar Pradesh … !

A Taser or conducted electrical weapon (CEW) is an electroshock weapon sold by Taser International. It fires two small dart-like electrodes, which stay connected to the main unit by conductors, to deliver electric current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles causing "neuromuscular incapacitation".  A person struck by a Taser experiences over-stimulation of sensory nerves and motor nerves, resulting in strong involuntary muscle contractions.  In USA,  Tasers were introduced as non-lethal weapons for police to use to subdue fleeing, belligerent, or potentially dangerous people, who would have otherwise been subjected to more lethal weapons such as firearms.

In Dec 2014,  a monkey who was terrorizing citizens in the French city of Marseille was finally  tackled by police, who used a taser gun to subdue the animal. Authorities believed the monkey came from Algeria, Gibraltar or Morocco, was raised illegally and then abandoned in the city, according to reports in La Provence. It appears to have been maltreated and malnourished, subsisting largely on Kinder chocolate bars.   That perhaps could  have led to a craving for sugar that turned nasty. It sparked panic in an elementary school, biting and scratching some of the children on repeated occasions as it hunted for sugary snacks. The police finally managed to capture the animal, which was over 2 and a half feet tall, by tasering him into submission. During the intervention, the monkey bit one police officer’s hand, but  was captured.  It later recovered and was given some bananas too !

In UK, this Aug (2016), a former  Premier League soccer player Dalian Atkinson  died after he was shot by British police with a Taser. West Mercia Police said in a statement  that an independent investigation was launched into the death. The deceased -  Dalian Atkinson, was a 48-year-old former striker for English soccer team Aston Villa. Atkinson played in the early 1990s for the Birmingham-based club, which was then part of the Premier League, and is remembered for having scored one of the competition's great individual goals in 1992. Aston Villa released a statement Monday saying it was saddened to hear of Atkinson's death, and recalling his memorable moments playing for the club.  During his 16-year career, Atkinson, a talented striker, played for English teams including Manchester City, Ipswich Town, Sheffield and his former clubs and teammates were quick to pay tribute as news of his death broke. Aston Villa lead the tributes, noting how although Atkinson's time at the club was disrupted by injuries, "he still averaged a goal every three games."

Back home in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh police chief Javeed Ahmed was incapacitated for a few seconds before his subordinates helped him get back on his feet after he volunteered to play target to a Taser shot on Sunday.  The Indian unit of an American company that supplies Tasers had held the demo to ascertain the effectiveness of the weapon that is used against non-complaint aggressive suspects resisting arrests.

"Taare dikhne lage (I saw stars),'' Ahmed told his colleagues, who burst into a laughter. Ahmed said that he volunteered as it was about leading from the front. "Everyone present in the room was as human as I was; so there was no point in asking somebody else to do it," Ahmed told TOI.  He said that the state police were ascertaining whether the gadget can be used lawfully. "We are trying to ascertain if the Union home ministry has permitted use of such weapons and thereafter we will purchase them. Initially, we plan to equip the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the state police with Tasers," he said.

ATS inspector general of police Aseem Arun said they have sought Tasers for room entry operations and hostage situations. "We were going through a demo of the gadget when the DGP asked for a real-life test," he said.

 The news of the police chief taking the Taser shot went viral on the internet. The IPS association too hailed him on Twitter.     He is hailed as the man leading from the front !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

7^th Sept. 2016.