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Officers could get Tasers back soon

New policy expands situations where devices should not be used.

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By Meagan Engle, Staff Writer Updated 10:52 PM Wednesday, November 18, 2009

OXFORD — Every Oxford police officer could soon begin carrying a Taser again after City Council gave final, favorable comments on a revised policy and expressed a desire to get them back in officers hands as soon as possible.

Oxford stopped using Tasers in April 2008 following the death of a Miami University graduate, who died five days after being subdued with the electroshock device outside a bar as officers attempted to break up a fight.

The officer involved was found to not to have violated any policy, but in light of the incident, ghe city has since drafted a new, expanded policy on Taser use that broadens situations in which the weapons should not be used. These include situations where: there is minimal physical resistance by a person who is highly intoxicated; a person attempting to flee but is suspected of a misdemeanor crime that was not violent; a person is emotionally disturbed or has a noticeable mental or physical handicap.

City Manager Douglas Elliott said he will likely approve the new policy Dec. 1.

Officers will then go through training in late December and possibly begin carrying the weapons again by Jan. 1, Elliot said.

Elliott said he doesn’t know of a perfect policy on Taser use, and would prefer they not be used at all. But with the situations officers enter into on a regular basis, they are needed, he said.

“Our goal is to use a minimal amount of force,” Elliott said. “It’s a balancing act.”

“We need to get Tasers back in the police officers’ hands,” said Councilman Richard Keebler.

Council members and residents at the Tuesday, Nov. 17, meeting also expressed a desire for additional training outside of that provided by the Taser manufacturer.

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You have to think how many bars are in oxford.to many they need to get rid of some.then they would not have that many stupid people

the chef
10:37 PM, 11/19/2009

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The officers would not need to use the tasers if 1. The bars and clubs uptown, didnt sell to underage drinkers 2. The police officers werent outnumbered by those underage drinkers. 3. Those underage drinkers didnt become violent and out of control.

D. Rupp
9:20 PM, 11/19/2009

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(Clap! Clap! Clap!) This move by the city of Oxford pleases me to no end! I want to know that whether the officier is slim and trim or fat and sassy that he has the tools at his disposal to protect me or a member of my family if the need arises.

RP McMurphy
2:52 PM, 11/19/2009

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mdizzie... your an idiot. Im a PO and Ive been tased several times. Once in training to be certified and a few more times while wrestling with people on the job. Im still alive. Police are not judge and jury, but the public rarely gets to see how these dumb----- act when we deal with them.
Take the article on the front page for example about the MU student and the sexual assault and assault on the PO. He decided to fight the cop. Would you rather the cop shoot the idiot or use a taser?

duh
11:11 AM, 11/19/2009

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You dont know what you are talking about.Didint you see what the guy jeff wrote?He doesent break the law they thought he did but they had the wrong guy.Well do you know what i seen in butler county?I seen a 76 year old women being tased she was shakeing so bad when the cop did it that she busted her head on the road.I think some go to far with the tasers.This old lady had alittle to much to drink that dont mean she sould had been tased till she busted her head open.Now why an old women?

shut up tw
8:58 AM, 11/19/2009

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