First taser used on Fraser Coast

Averyll Loft | 3rd July 2009

AS details of the first ever taser use on the Fraser Coast surfaced yesterday, so did a report into the 12-month trial of tasers by the Queensland Police Service.

Superintendent Steve Wardrope said a Maryborough officer had tasered a man at a night-time disturbance about a week ago.

“The male became aggressive ... the officers told him they would deploy a taser if he didn't settle down. He made further threats and was consequently tasered.”

It was the only occasion a taser had been used in the region since the rollout began in Queensland in January. The report released yesterday revealed Queensland police used a taser three or more times on one person on at least a dozen occasions since the trial started in July 2007.

All but one of the incidents involved the taser being used in “stun mode”- directly applied to the clothing or skin to deliver acute pain.

Throughout the 12-month trial there were a total of 170 deployments.

In 41% of the incidents the threat was enough to resolve the situation. In more than 80% of incidents tasers were effective in allowing officers to gain control of the situation.

Sergeant Martin Slack, who helped with the training and rollout of tasers on the Fraser Coast, agreed the devices were an effective use-of-force option.

“As a deterrent they are very successful,” he said. “The threat of police having to use them towards a violent person is usually enough to de-escalate the matter.”

Police commissioner Bob Atkinson said lessons learnt during the trial combined with ongoing experience by QPD officers had led to significant changes being made to policy and training.

The taser rollout has been suspended until a coronial inquest into the death of a man who was tasered is finalised.