by KYW's Tony Romeo
The outgoing Pennsylvania state police commissioner (see related story) says wider use of 50,000-volt stun guns by his department has been a huge success.
State police commissioner Jeffrey Miller (in file photo above) says his department studied the use of Tasers for two years before beginning a pilot program in 2006, which saw 18 troopers issued the non-lethal weapon.
Based on the results of that program, he says, state police this year began training and equipping 3,000 troopers with Tasers:
“I must note, however, that it was even surprising for me how quickly the Tasers have proven to be an effective, non-lethal weapon for subduing individuals threatening harm to themselves or others.”
Miller says that during the first six months of this year troopers have used their Tasers 144 times. He says there is no doubt that in some of those situations troopers would have had to use their batons or firearms to protect themselves or others.
Two examples include a man who was subdued after pointing a rifle at troopers and another who refused an order to drop a knife while threatening suicide.
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