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Use of Tasers Questioned
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COLUMBIA - After police fired a Taser at a man near a bridge Friday, the improper use of Tasers is questioned.

This incident also comes while the city and police department look into equipping all officers with Tasers. Police wouldn't comment any further on Saturday. They say Friday's press release says it all.

The press release states, "We regret deeply that Mr. McDuffy is seriously injured, the rapidly unfolding event prevented effective force prior to his placing himself in greater jeopardy."

In an interview with KOMU on Friday police said they don't regret the second shot that caused McDuffy to fall from the bridge. The police Taser protocol states, "Officers shall not use a Taser on someone that is in a potion where a fall would likely cause serious injury or death."

This was the case on the I-70 overpass on Friday. Police said they're now flooded with complaints about the Tasing. Saturday KOMU caught up with anti-tasing advocates and friends of the victim, all of whom said mistakes were made on the bridge yesterday.

"Well there are rules as I said one of the rules is that you're not supposed to shoot a person at height because they will fall down, so that was something that should have been known to the police," said Ed Berg of Grass Root Organizing.

"Our policy states that when we use the Taser and deploy the Taser that we are to do so when it is not unsafe for the person to be," explained Zim Schwartze of the Columbia Police Department.

Within the last few months Grass Root Organizing loudly voiced concerns about the possibility of improper use of Tasers.They say this Tasing put an exclamation point on their argument. Last month the police department doubled the number of Tasers in the department. Police told KOMU Tasers are an important non-lethal crime fighting tool, saying all officers go through extensive training.

While anti-tasing advocates say Tasers can be lethal, they believe there must be stricter guidelines and such a strict protocol would protect both the police officers and people like McDuffy.

Reported by: Ashton Goodell
Posted by: Beth Hoag

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