TASER® Blog

If you are like me, you have probably seen quite a few news stories that portray TASER devices in a negative light.  It’s unfortunate, especially when you consider that our company’s mission is to Protect Life.  We have the privilege of receiving many stories submitted by officers in the field  that illustrate just how effectively TASER devices can be used to do just that.  I would like to share one that was sent to me by an Officer in North Carolina who used his TASER device in a life-saving capacity. 

A few weeks ago, in Macon County, North Carolina, Trooper Rico Stephens of the North Carolina Highway Patrol responded to a radio call about a child being attacked by a large dog.  Upon arrival, Trooper Stephens found the dog, upwards of 90 pounds, dragging the seven year-old child by the neck.  Assessing the situation, Trooper Stephens realized it would pose undue risk to the child and bystanders to attempt to shoot the dog with a firearm, so instead, he drew his TASER X26.  In one more attempt to free the child, the officer threw objects at the dog to get it to release the child.  That did not work, so Officer Stephens deployed the TASER and the dog was immediately incapacitated.  After the five-second cycle was over, the dog fled, leaving the child behind to be taken in for medical treatment.  In his report, Officer Stephens indicated that without question, the child would have died had he not been able to quickly incapacitate the dog with the TASER.

Stories like these often never make it to mainstream media.  There is a lot of misinformation about our products out there and, some days, it feels like I spend all my time trying to counter the misinformation.  So, I find it particularly refreshing to hear real-life stories from police officers who are using our devices to save lives and create safer communities.