By John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News
July 9, 2003

Sometimes all it takes to subdue a suspect is one red dot.

Since the Denver Police Department introduced less-lethal weapons into its arsenal in March, officers have made seven arrests where they might have otherwise used deadly force.

In a few cases, police said suspects surrendered as soon as they saw the red dot from a laser sight focused on them.

"That really is impressive," said Cpl. Stan Palka, who oversees training for Denver's less-lethal weapons. "We run around and point guns at people and they say, 'What are you going to do? Shoot me?' and they run off."

"But that laser shows up and they don't know what it is."

The laser is attached to the Taser, a device that fires two electric contacts up to 21 feet. The jolt from the electricity incapacitates a suspect for about five seconds, long enough to handcuff him.

Denver has 80 Tasers, and officers have used them 93 times. That includes seven times in which the suspect wielded a knife.

Officers had two Tasers at the scene of a shooting Saturday in which a patrolman shot and killed a 15-year-old boy who was brandishing a knife, but they were not used.

In past instances where Tasers were used, there were nine misfires, meaning the contacts failed to hit their target, Palka said.

There were also nine cases in which officers used the weapon in close contact as a stun gun.

The department has also equipped the Metro SWAT team with rifles that fire beanbags. Those weapons get used once or twice a year, often in barricade situations, Palka said.

At almost every large public event since March 2002, Denver police have also had a weapon that fires pepper-spray balls. So far, they have not had occasion to use it.

Palka said the new weapons are simply another tool.

He does not see them prompting any changes in the rules regarding the proper use of deadly force.

But they have made a difference for both suspects and officers in terms of injuries sustained during an unruly arrest, he said.

During a Monday evening news conference, Police Chief Gerry Whitman said that officers armed with Tasers and certified in crisis intervention have helped defuse dangerous confrontations daily.

The chief said that each situation is different and officers who confront armed attackers must take into consideration whether they have the time and distance to safely control a dangerous situation or use deadly force.

"When you get into a tactical situation, you need time to implement these things," Whitman said. "You need the distance and time to actually talk to somebody before you do something."

However, officers can't afford to sit back if they see an imminent threat to them or other citizens, he said.

"My assessment of it is, if an officer is put in a situation where he or she is going to have to save their lives or somebody else's life, they have to go to a level of force where it's going to stop that threat."

ensslinj@RockyMountainNews .com or (303) 892-5291. Listen to John C. Ensslin on "The State of Colorado" at 8 a.m. Friday on KNRC-AM 1150. News staff writer Hector Gutierrez contributed to this report.

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