Police buy new, more accurate Tasers

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — Omaha police get a major upgrade: moving to a stronger, faster and more accurate Taser.

“The fact that you have that second cartridge to attempt to get that effective deployment is a game-changer,” said Officer Mandee Kampbell is a master instructor and academy instructor for Omaha police.

She’s in charge of teaching taser-certified officers how to use the new Axon Taser 7.

OPD bought 586 Tasers every officer that carries one will be required to train on them before they hit the streets.

The technology gives officers a step in between going hands on with a suspect and using deadly force; something they hope they don’t have to do.

“We’re on the cutting edge of it as far as across the united states and comparable cities, to have the Taser 7 here is neat and I’m excited, and the city is on board with the training that our officers need,” Kampbell said.

They’re different in many ways from the old Tasers officers carried.

“Our old ones are black, and our new ones are yellow and black to make them easily identifiable as tasers,” Kampbell said.

They also have a double laser site one for each cartridge.

“On these taser 7’s now the top laser is green to help them easier identify in daylight. It shows about where the top probe would penetrate unto the person and then it has the bottom one as well to be more accurate.”

The two-day training includes skill-based testing, and decision making drills.

“A taser instructor is in a halt suit and they get to deploy that taser on an actual person. Because many officers have carried a taser for years and have never deployed it on a person,” Kampbell said.

Kampbell said tasers are a step down from lethal force and have another feature that can help deescalate a situation before the taser is even deployed.

“If it’s appropriate in a situation to attempt de-escalation the arc display, or the electricy displays across the front of the weapon while giving verbal commands,” she said.

A warning arc can be used: electricity appears just across the front of the Taser.

OPD said this new tech will help keep use of force low on the department.

“It does allow us the ability to not always have to go hands on with someone when they’re actively resisting,” Kampbell said.

Omaha police said so far this year no officer has opened fire on a person with their gun. The last time that happened was November. There were just two instances where an OPD officer opened fire on a person in all of 2020.

Officers said this training with these Tasers can lower that risk even more.

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