Carroll Commencement
Fairborn commencement
Badin graduation
Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > December > 28 > Entry
Editorial: Police should be slow to shock suspects
The Dec. 13 death of 39-year-old Douglas Boucher in Mason after a Taser shock brings home troubling questions about police use of these electrical devices.
Tasers, which have proliferated during the past decade, are used to stun suspects into submission with an electrical jolt. Proponents say they are effective, safe, not lethal and an important tool that protects everybody’s safety.
But some are challenging that view.
A major study last year by Amnesty International reported 334 people died after being shocked by the devices between 2001 and 2008. That human rights group recommended curtailing their use. Several police departments in Canada stopped using older-model Tasers following a series of deaths and a Canadian news organization’s report that its tests showed the devices sometimes emit more powerful shocks than they are designed to produce.
What happened to Mr. Boucher is unclear. The Warren County coroner has not determined the cause of death. Whether he was intoxicated or had underlying health issues is not known.
According to Mason interim police Chief Mike Kelly, the incident began when a convenience store clerk asked two officers to speak to Mr. Boucher, complaining that he had been lewdly asking her for sex.
As officers Daniel Fry and Sean McCormick spoke with Mr. Boucher, he became uncooperative. The officers began to handcuff him, although Chief Kelly said it is not clear if they were arresting him.
Officer Fry was struck in the head by Mr. Boucher’s handcuffed hand as he wrestled free. Chief Kelly said the officer suffered a concussion.
Mr. Boucher then charged toward the clerk, but was stopped by Officer McCormick, who shocked him with the Taser on a second try after failing once. Mr. Boucher stopped breathing and was dead when he was brought to the hospital.
Investigators have much to sort out. But Mr. Boucher’s case is similar enough to other sudden deaths after Taser incidents to ask whether it fits into a larger pattern of possible problems.
It’s easy to think of Tasers as a replacement for guns, but they really are more often used instead of batons to get suspects to comply with commands. Critics argue they are used too freely and should be reserved as a “last resort.”
Mason police have a sensible policy on Tasers. Officers are required to follow a progression of actions when dealing with an unruly suspect. They move, in order, from asking questions to issuing commands, using a baton, handcuffing, warning of a Taser shock, using the Taser and then using force.
Chief Kelly said he believes the officers in this case followed those rules. In the two years the rules have been in force, Mason police have used Tasers on just seven suspects.
Some researchers worry that Taser shocks may interfere with heart rhythm. The company that makes the devices disputes that, but in September it issued guidelines advising police to avoid shocking suspects in the chest.
That guidance is so new many officers haven’t heard about it yet. Investigators don’t yet know if Mr. Boucher’s death was heart-related or how close to the chest the Taser hit.
Though obviously they’re not as lethal as guns, Tasers are still weapons. Police departments should have a healthy fear of quickly turning to them.
Permalink | Comments (34) | Post your comment | Categories: Editorials, Law Enforcement and Public Safety, Scott Elliott, Suburban Communities
Comments
By DDN Reader
December 28, 2009 8:13 AM | Link to this
Mr. Boucher did not die as a result of the Taser. Amnesty International is not an unbiased group and any research they conduct/sponsor is colored by their biases. We give law enforcement officers a certain amount of authority. If someone disobeys or is insubordinate to that, they should be Tased. Simple, effective, some paperwork hassle for the officer, but no one gets hurt. Police should use Tasers more, not less frequently. There is no lasting effect.
By george
December 28, 2009 8:39 AM | Link to this
My goodness DDN Editorial Writer. May you be part of their down-sizing. What would you have written if the officer struck with the handcuff died from a brain injury. The suspect then went on to attack the clerk? Gee Mr. Dunce, do you think he was going to give her a hug and apologize? After striking the officer he should have been shot and killed - that way he would not have the chance to try to kill a police officer or rape a clerk. Get a real job you sick liberal.
By Ted
December 28, 2009 8:44 AM | Link to this
Hello DDN Reader. Just a simple question to clarify your understanding of the potential hazards of the Taser’s electrical discharge; Isn’t Death a “lasting effect”?
By DDNSUX
December 28, 2009 8:57 AM | Link to this
Taze’m all. Its better to be tried by twelve than to be carried by six.
By george
December 28, 2009 9:10 AM | Link to this
Hey Ted. Do as you are told and you won’t get tazed or dead. It really is just THAT simple.
By More Misguided Thinking
December 28, 2009 9:16 AM | Link to this
Tasers are entirely appropriate police protection. Of coarse the DDN will support every police levy as long as the resources are all for show and not to be used. Hard to imagine there used to be a time when police could even be pro-active in crime prevention, instead of being uniformed social workers.
By Tim
December 28, 2009 9:52 AM | Link to this
Tasers were pushed on most police officers by administrations and news articles that over reactioned to officers arresting suspects and later getting sued for using to much force. The administrations felt it was easier to pay the bad guy off than fight the suit. Then they decided the officers should use tasers instead of putting their hands on a suspect. Here is a thought,”Fight with the police and you may lose.” This guy was fighting 2 officers and still attempting to harm the store clerk. What in the world would you expect them to do? Walk away. Tell the clerk to call someone else? NO!! They did their job. Period. The guy died. To bad for his family. I am glad it wasn’t the clerk or the officers. His death is HIS FAULT. PERIOD!! The taser was invented and is being carried for this exact type of situation. Stop 2nd guessing the officers and their policies. They were 100% correct in their actions. As a retired deputy sheriff, in the old days we would have beat the crap out of him or shot him.
By Tim
December 28, 2009 9:54 AM | Link to this
Tasers were pushed on most police officers by administrations and news articles that over reactioned to officers arresting suspects and later getting sued for using to much force. The administrations felt it was easier to pay the bad guy off than fight the suit. Then they decided the officers should use tasers instead of putting their hands on a suspect. Here is a thought,”Fight with the police and you may lose.” This guy was fighting 2 officers and still attempting to harm the store clerk. What in the world would you expect them to do? Walk away. Tell the clerk to call someone else? NO!! They did their job. Period. The guy died. To bad for his family. I am glad it wasn’t the clerk or the officers. His death is HIS FAULT. PERIOD!! The taser was invented and is being carried for this exact type of situation. Stop 2nd guessing the officers and their policies. They were 100% correct in their actions. As a retired deputy sheriff, in the old days we would have beat the crap out of him or shot him.
By Tim
December 28, 2009 9:56 AM | Link to this
Tasers were pushed on most police officers by administrations and news articles that over reactioned to officers arresting suspects and later getting sued for using to much force. The administrations felt it was easier to pay the bad guy off than fight the suit. Then they decided the officers should use tasers instead of putting their hands on a suspect. Here is a thought,”Fight with the police and you may lose.” This guy was fighting 2 officers and still attempting to harm the store clerk. What in the world would you expect them to do? Walk away. Tell the clerk to call someone else? NO!! They did their job. Period. The guy died. To bad for his family. I am glad it wasn’t the clerk or the officers. His death is HIS FAULT. PERIOD!! The taser was invented and is being carried for this exact type of situation. Stop 2nd guessing the officers and their policies. They were 100% correct in their actions. As a retired deputy sheriff, in the old days we would have beat the crap out of him or shot him.
By Jim
December 28, 2009 10:20 AM | Link to this
Is it any wonder why newspapers are dying?
By Pharrell
December 28, 2009 10:30 AM | Link to this
Tasers might be more dangerous than we originally thought and police officers need to be mindful of this. Using them cavalierly under the assumption that they’re 100% non-lethal is a mistake. There, did I boil it down enough for y’all?
By george
December 28, 2009 10:49 AM | Link to this
No Pharrell. Maybe you can’t read good. Do exactly as you are told by the police and you don’t have to worry about it. Fail to comply with verbal commands or act aggressive and you will pay the price - whatever that may be. End result is your fault - always, and as it should be.
By Rob
December 28, 2009 11:08 AM | Link to this
Ever hear of the concept…OBEY THE LAW…thank you Chris Rock for that one. Funny, every encounter I have ever had with officers…even that stupid one I instigated back in college…was professional. One “trick” I used to avoid doing the “Baton Dance”, now the “Electric Slide” is to listen to the cops and comply utterly and completely with his instructions. Passivity is the face of 50,000 volts is a good thing…
By soitsallrighttoassaultcops?!
December 28, 2009 12:17 PM | Link to this
I see you dont have the guts to put your name on this liberal crap you’re dishing out to stupid people who don’t know that newspapers hate cops.
By Rob
December 28, 2009 12:55 PM | Link to this
I am a factory certified taser instructor and have been for several years. I have been tased several times in training as have most of the officers that carry tasers and I know of no officer deaths during training. If the taser is so dangerous wouldnt this show up during training?? Also taser beats the old days when we beat the suspect with a nightstick or a flashlight. there were a lot more deaths back then because if the beating didn’t stop them we had no choice left but to shoot them.
By Worthless cops
December 28, 2009 1:01 PM | Link to this
Cops are worthless—I doubt the cop had a concussion lets see the medical report.To bad the cops were so weak that they couldn’t subdue this man but chose the easy way out by just tasing him. I’m sure the cops didn’t antagonize or instigate this as they typically do so they can get a rise out of you so they can taser you or beat you. Yeah just do what they say. That’s whats wrong with America now you fricken sheep. No one to stand up against these payed thugs.
By Pharrell
December 28, 2009 2:52 PM | Link to this
Cops don’t have the right to kill people who fail to comply. I know that enough of you desperately want to live in a nation where they can, but fortunately you don’t get to make the rules. If tasers are more dangerous than previosuly thought, it needs to be addressed.
By Pharrell
December 28, 2009 2:56 PM | Link to this
To soitsallrighttoassaultcops?! : Your assignment is to google “logical fallacy” and “unsigned editorial.”
By fortressdayton
December 28, 2009 3:39 PM | Link to this
Obey the instructions of police officers, even if you don’t agree. If more people would remain silent and do as they are told, they would be better off. Tazers are dangerous because their use can cause unpredictable reactions. Use a nightstick—the result is predictable.
By Pharrell/Worthless Cops
December 28, 2009 3:51 PM | Link to this
Tasers should be used. I would rather tase someone than beat on them. Have you ever tried reasoning with a drunk or an individual high on some drug (meth)? What are the police to do, allow the subject to continue their rampage in the streets or maybe they should have peppered him and beat him with a titanium asp baton.
By Pharrell/Worthless Cops
December 28, 2009 3:52 PM | Link to this
Tasers should be used. I would rather tase someone than beat on them. Have you ever tried reasoning with a drunk or an individual high on some drug (meth)? What are the police to do, allow the subject to continue their rampage in the streets or maybe they should have peppered him and beat him with a titanium asp baton.
By Pharrell/Worthless Cops
December 28, 2009 3:52 PM | Link to this
Tasers should be used. I would rather tase someone than beat on them. Have you ever tried reasoning with a drunk or an individual high on some drug (meth)? What are the police to do, allow the subject to continue their rampage in the streets or maybe they should have peppered him and beat him with a titanium asp baton.
By Pharrell's Mom
December 28, 2009 4:41 PM | Link to this
Pharrell, you be grounded!
By Seriously?
December 28, 2009 7:44 PM | Link to this
Headline Newspapers should get their facts straight, and report the truth. What does this headline have to do with this “opinion?” Does the writer think the Police acted too fast to deploy the taser? I can’t tell from this article. Wouldn’t it have been appropiate to wait for the autopsy report? This article/opinion is lacking. DDN has to do better than this to be considered seriously.
By Pharrell
December 28, 2009 8:43 PM | Link to this
Headline: Police should be slow to shock suspects, Article: Police should be slow to shock suspects. Please tell me you’re kidding, Seriously.
By Confuscius
December 30, 2009 10:35 AM | Link to this
Ancient Chinese proverb: “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes”
By joe
December 31, 2009 8:29 AM | Link to this
Let the cops get beat on. They get paid to protect us and should be willing to take it . He I would have shot the guy when he busted loose.
By jacob
January 1, 2010 2:29 PM | Link to this
” Maybe you can’t read good.” The proper way to write that is “Maybe you can’t read well.” Clearly you don’t deserve your GED. Get off welfare and get an education, george. This age-old question of police “brutality” will never go away. There’s probably another side to the story, but for now, I’m backing the police on this one. Look at the picture - he doesn’t look like a little guy. He probably could have inflicted a lot of damage on the poor store clerk. Fine, the cops may have acted too quickly, but in the heat of the moment, what were they supposed to do? Also, keep in mind that Boucher could have simply complied with the officers’ request and this would never have happened :(
By jacob
January 1, 2010 2:35 PM | Link to this
“Does the writer think the Police acted too fast to deploy the taser? I can’t tell from this article.” If you really can’t tell, then you are a complete idiot. That’s not to say that I agree with the author’s opinion, but there are too many people who call out the DDN and their journalists for really stupid complaints, like this one.
By smoke &mirrors
January 2, 2010 8:24 AM | Link to this
The police should not be slow in tasing people who fail to comply with a lawful order.What a dumbass statement.
By John
January 2, 2010 7:37 PM | Link to this
Hey DDN, why don’t you waddle your liberal hind end up from Warren County and attend a taser class? I’d love to see sparks knocked out of Belcher! You complain about the taser, would you complain equally about them beating him with a stick? How loud would you yell if the dead scumbag had taken the cops eye out with the other unattached handcuff? You liberal whackjobs are the cause of the paper’s downsize. The judge makes enough to support you Belcher, why don’t you retire.
By smoke&mirrors
January 3, 2010 1:03 PM | Link to this
people who don’t understand police work have no idea what they speak of.
By JD
January 3, 2010 2:14 PM | Link to this
The writer of this editorial should spend a bit of time with inner city cops to see what they are dealing with. Staying inside all safe and comfortable on their big rear ends have caused them to really believe they know what they are talking about when in actuality they are doofus’s without a clue. Ellen if one of those jerks was beating on your husband I’d bet you’d want him tazed wouldn’t ya?
By Dixiechickbs
January 10, 2010 11:57 AM | Link to this
Turn the page - this topic is old news! Officers have tasers, they’be been proven effective and God willing they should continue to use them! How many suspects have NOT died because officers have a less lethal use of force option.