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Taser Email re Accidental Discharges, Taser Intl

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Here are the news stories on the three events from Sacramento PD that resulted in a non-fatal
hip shot in 2001; Rochester PD (MN) that resulted in a non-fatal shot to a man's back; and the
one fatal shot by Madera PD (CA).
The contact for Sacramento is excellent:
Sgt. Rick Guilbault (pronounced Gil Bo):
rguilbault@pd.cityofsacramento.org and 916-566-6490 ext. 3.
Madera is still in ongoing investigations. I can talk about this on the phone.
I do not have all the facts concerning Rochester. Please contact Rochester PD Sgt. Scott Tulius:
507-285-8302 and stulius@ci.rochester.mn.us and go "cop to cop."
These are notes from one report from an inquiry from Irvine PD via his conversations with
Rochester: Rochester Police Department, MN:
In this case, a Rochester Police officer responded to a disorderly conduct incident and upon
arrival, immediately exited his vehicle to aid another officer who was engaged in a fight with the
suspect. While exiting his vehicle, the officer placed his issued black M26 Advanced Air Taser in
one of his uniform pants pockets, located on the officer’s primary side. During the scuffle, the
officer decided to use his Taser to subdue the resisting suspect and while attempting to feel for
the Taser weapon on his primary weapon side, he accidentally drew his primary lethal weapon
instead and fired one round, striking the suspect near the kidney side of his body. The shooting
was non-lethal and the suspect did survive the incident.
This investigation is on going, therefore I was unable to obtain the information, relating to the type
of uniform pants the officer was wearing and exactly how the Taser weapon was stored in his
pants pocket. Prior to this incident, when the Rochester Police Department first obtained the M26
Advanced Air Taser’s, they trained their officer’s to carry the Tasers in belted hip type zippered
bag,
Since this incident, the Rochester Police Department changed the color of their Taser’s to yellow
and strictly enforced the policy requiring the carrying of the weapon in the zipped hip bags.
Sincerely,
Steve Tuttle
Director of Government & Law Enforcement Affairs
TASER International (NASDAQ: TASR & TASRW)
7860 East McClain Dr., #2, Scottsdale, AZ 85260-1627
Steve@TASER.com * 800-978-2737 ext. 2006 * Fax 480-991-0791 * CELL 602-451-8569
TASER International, Inc. (NASDAQ: TASR and TASRW) provides advanced less-lethal
weapons for use in the law enforcement, private security, and personal defense markets. For
more information on the ADVANCED TASER® and TASER Int'l, Inc., please visit our web site at
www.TASER.com.
The ADVANCED TASER is used by over 2,000 law enforcement agencies worldwide and has
reduced injuries to deputies at the Orange Co. FL Sheriff's Office by over 80%. Injuries to
suspects have dropped dramatically at the Phoenix AZ Police Dept by 40%.