TASER® Blog

Today I came across an article regarding a man in Alice Springs, Australia, who was waving a machete and screaming, “I want to chop people up,” and to the police, “I’ll make you shoot me.”  Sadly, while this story may be horrifying to most citizens, it is all too familiar to law enforcement officers. This is known as “suicide by cop.”

According to Wikipedia, “suicide by cop is a suicide method in which a suicidal deliberately acts in a threatening way, with the goal of provoking a lethal response from a law enforcement officer, such as being shot to death.” Tragically, those officers that are placed in those situations not only face media and public scrutiny, internal investigations, self-doubt, but they have to live the rest of their lives with the fact that they were involved in an incident where a life was taken to no fault of their own.

The main mission that co-founders Rick and Tom Smith had when starting TASER International in 1993 was to find a safer response to resistance. This mission is accomplished each time we read of similar lives saved by the use of a TASER ECD. To shed a little light on “who” we are, our staff at “Team TASER” is highly motivated and driven by these stories. Although we aren’t walking the beat or putting on a badge to protect and serve, it still makes us feel like we are, albeit a small, but important contributing cog in the law enforcement world. It’s a story like this that helps feel like we’re doing our part to make the world a little bit safer and doing our part to protect life.

We are human at TASER International. We read the controversial stories and sometimes you can feel overwhelmed that so many of the life-saving events are simply not covered or reported in any large extent despite thousands of lives that have been positively affected by the use of a TASER ECD. However, we as a company continue to produce products that help deter incidents that end in any death or serious injury, which allows us to continue to fulfill our number one mission: Protect life.

Although our technology is not a replacement for deadly force, we do know our TASER technology has been invaluable in more than 800,000 field use in situations — including the prevention of suicide by cop. It’s a good reminder today to see the positive impacts this technology makes each day at nearly 14,500 law enforcement agencies  in more than 40 countries.

Last week the world was introduced to the TASER X3, the latest and most innovative handheld electronic control device (ECD) by TASER International. This is the first new handheld ECD since the introduction of the TASER X26 in 2003. No pictures yet of the new X3; but believe me, it’s very cool and chock full of incredibly complex features!

The official unveiling date is July 27 when we will publicly present the X3 at our annual TASER Conference in Fountain Hills, Ariz.

Since the announcement last week, we have been providing daily features and technological advancements of the TASER X3, which will continue until our unveiling on July 27. The TASER X3 has also taken on a persona on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/TASERX3) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/TASERX3) where the device is “sharing” more about its exciting new features. The X3 just may be the first law enforcement weapon to “launch itself” through interactive social media sites. The use of social media is a first for our company and we are giving away some pretty great swag such as TASER® hats, shirts, and tactical bags to those that follow its progress and announcements during July. The TASER X3 is definitely a more hip, media savvy ECD!

For those that need a re-cap of the X3 features revealed in just the first seven days, here they are: Read more…

Wow — it has been a busy week! In the past two days, TASER International has made two major announcements.

The inner workings of a TASER XREP shell

Yesterday, TASER announced the new handheld multi-shot electronic control device (ECD) called TASER X3™, which will be officially released at the annual TASER Conference on July 27 in Fountain Hills, Ariz. This is the first new handheld ECD since the introduction of the TASER X26 in 2003.

We will be providing 27 features/technological advancements of the TASER X3 over the next 27 days. To follow the X3’s daily technology releases, go to:  www.TASERX3.com or follow on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TASERX3 and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TASERX3.

Tuesday, TASER International announced that the TASER® eXtended Range Electronic Projectile (XREP™) shotgun rounds and TASER® X12™ less-lethal shotgun by Mossberg® are now available.

The TASER X12 less-lethal shotgun by Mossberg

The X3 is the culmination of over four years of intense research and development and offers exponentially increased capabilities, including vastly enhanced data, networking, and communication functionality as well as enhanced safety features. TASER has made major investments over the past 24 months to bring a host of new products to market — including the AXON™ Tactical Computer, EVIDENCE.COM™, and the long awaited wireless TASER® XREP™. Our R&D Team has secretly worked on a parallel path to bring the X3 to reality. These innovative developments create an ecosystem of technologies that interface together to provide law enforcement never-before-possible, breakthrough capabilities.

The TASER® product family will provide our customers smarter, safer capabilities to better protect our officers and our communities.

Wow, what an exciting four days Morgantown, WV! …and it is not often that one can say that!

Hundreds of corrections and law enforcement officers took part in the 2009 Mock Prison Riots, honing skills, learning new techniques and demonstrating and evaluating new equipment. For example, twenty officers were certified by the TASER training team on the new TASER® Shockwave™ area denial system and 61 officers were certified on the new TASER® XREP™ wireless shotgun projectiles.  

A K-9 unit stands ready to break up a hostage situation

Over the course of the four-day event, I observed five training scenarios. Two of the training scenarios were staged in the cell blocks, with one scenario simulating 15 inmates refusing lockdown and the other simulating a situation where a guard was taken hostage by a group of inmates. During the hostage scenario, the rescue team brought in a K-9 unit, and it was so compelling to see how the dog scared the inmates into submission. I have a much better understanding and greater respect for the effectiveness and power of a well-trained K-9.

I also watched a scenario where a bus with inmates onboard broke down. The CERT (Corrections Emergency Response Team) threw smoke screens and flash bangs to distract the inmates so they could get on the bus and regain control. Yet another scenario was in the dining hall, where inmates started fighting and barricaded the doors to the hall. There were three teams of CERT officers who entered the dining hall and used both chemical and non-lethal devices to contain the situation.   Read more…