TASER Device Used on British Gunman Raoul Moat

After evading Northumbrian police in England for the past week, gunman Raoul Moat who killed his ex-girlfriend and murdered her lover killed himself after a six hour standoff with armed police.

During the standoff two police officers had fired their TASER devices at the suspect; however inquiries are being made as to whether or not the self defense tools were employed prior to the gunman’s death or afterwards.

Capturing British headlines, Moat killed his girlfriend and her lover after he believed that her lover was a police officer. After declaring war on police he explained to officers in a letter that he would begin killing more officers until he died.

The standoff which saw the gunman talking to police in a bid to get him to negotiate with them came to an end in the early hours of Saturday morning after he shot himself when a struggle ensued between officers who had surrounded him and himself. Even though several TASER weapons had been employed it was found that these devices in no way were the cause of the man’s death.

Unfortunately in this situation the outcome was a tragic one. In most cases the main objective for an officer is to capture the individual involved so that they can be safely brought into custody without causing more unnecessary harm to those around them.

In this case however that wasn’t to be. As a result a man who was jealous of his girlfriend went on a killing rampage, took to hiding and eventually saw his life come to a dramatic end when officers finally caught up with him.

Even though TASER devices are now widely used among law enforcement across the globe, there are still instances when such tools are not as effective on individuals; particularly those who do not feel their effects when they have either taken drugs, alcohol, or have the ability to block out the stun when they put their minds to it.

This may have been the case for Raoul Moat who in the end decided that ending his life was a much better option than living. And yet, while they may have not been efficient in this instance that’s not to say that is the case in all circumstances.