Report: Police Not Always Following Stun Gun Safety Rules

BALTIMORE (AP) -- A newspaper investigation has found that Maryland police officers failed to follow safety recommendations when using stun guns hundreds of times over a three year period.

The Baltimore Sun reports (bsun.md/1UHGzbR) that state data from 2012 to 2014 shows police discharged their stun guns for longer than 15 seconds in one out of every 10 incidents. That's longer than what Taser International, the U.S. Justice Department and other experts recommend.

The paper also found that officers fired stun guns at someone's chest in 119 cases in 2014. Taser warns that could cause cardiac arrest.

Takoma Park Police Chief Alan Goldberg said the data doesn't tell the whole story. He said officers who are in a stressful situation may not realize how long they are using the stun gun.

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