Police subdue a dangerous criminal:
MARTINSVILLE, Ind. — Indiana police say two officers have been placed on administrative suspension after they used a stun gun on an unruly 10-year-old boy at a home day care:
[. . .]
The department says that when the officers arrived the boy was out of control, hitting and kicking and refusing to listen to them. The department says the officers used a stun gun and slapped the boy to subdue him.
The argument for stun guns is that they give police one more less-than-lethal weapon in their arsenal; reducing the level of force used is generally a good thing. The drawback is that they can induce police to use force when they otherwise might have to use some other means of control (like talking). I think the case can still be made for using tasers, but departments that get them should have plenty of training on when and when not to use them.
