Serving Putnam County, Indiana

CLOVERDALE, IN - The Cloverdale Police Dept. will conduct a public demonstration of its recently purchased
Advanced Taser M26es at the Cloverdale town hall at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30.
Chief Don Pearson researched the practicality of these weapons and found them to be both effective and safe.
"It becomes another alternative to the responding officer on a call that is forced to use a non-lethal weapon (batons
or impact munitions) when dealing with a suspect," he said.
Assistant Chief/K-9 Handler Charles Hallam was selected to go through the advanced training and become
Instructor Certified through Taser International. He recently completed his requirements, which included feeling the
consequences of such a weapon when used on a suspect or target.
"When used as trained, the target or suspect will definitely be immobilized," Hallam said. "I was incapacitated and
couldn't do anything to resist, which is in the officer's favor. When the impulse was complete, I was fully functional
within one minute and it left no permanent damage or injury on me."
The Advanced Taser fires two probes up to 21 feet and when they make contact with the target, the Advanced Taser
transmits powerful electrical pulses into the target's body. This Electro-Muscular Disruption (EMD) weapon uses a
powerful 18-26 watt electrical signal to completely override the central nervous system and directly control the
skeletal muscles.
This EMD effect causes an uncontrollable contraction of the muscle tissue, allowing the M-Series to physically
incapacitate a target regardless of pain tolerance or mental focus.
In most all cases, the individual is immobilized in less than half a second. Further studies show that in more than 20
years of field use, Taser International, manufacturer of Advanced Taser M26, reported there has never been a death
attributed directly to Taser technology.
The Advanced Taser also uses the same movements and muscle memory as a firearm, making the system extremely
instinctive and easy to use for any firearm-qualified officer.
Accordingly, the unit is more accurate and reliable under high-stress environments than other less lethal weapons
that require new and unfamiliar motor skills. This allows officers to remain focused on the target or suspect, a key
asset in any high-stress situation.
The Advanced Taser M26 is a valuable tool that CPD is proud to add to its equipment and will enable officers to
maintain a safe environment for the public. Hallam is the first to be certified in Putnam County as an instructor of
the Advanced Taser M26 and will be training/qualifying remaining CPD officers later this month.