Nebraskans Want Taser Videos

Police Chief Brian Paulsen of Plattsmouth wants to avoid legal problems experienced by some municipalities that use Tasers. Sometimes the criminals claim “police brutality” after having been stunned in order to control their behavior.

Recent lawsuits across the country allege police brutality in a wide variety of scenarios. Anyone who ignores police orders and then gets stunned by a Taser really shouldn’t be surprised, especially if the officer is holding the non lethal weapon and directs the person to comply or he will shoot.

Tasers are now equipped with sound and video options which can remove all question about any police improprieties. Some models of Tasers can be retrofitted with recording equipment, which is exactly what Plattsmouth is planning to do. Threats of lawsuits will drop dramatically when a video shows who did what to whom.

Paulson says he is in favor of the equipment because, “If a suspect claims police brutality after being stunned with a Taser, authorities can see for themselves what happened.”

Plattsmouth Police Officer Jon Hardy said, “A lot of people are gonna see it before it hits the courtroom and it’s going to show exactly what happened.”

Recently a suspect pushed over a garbage container. The Taser shows the suspect being stunned and that the officer immediately called for medical personnel as a safety precaution.

“He’s not going to come back and saying he wasn’t doing anything wrong; this isn’t a guy standing on the corner being Joe Q. Citizen. This is a guy who’s acting defiant and already damaged city property.”