Taser Use Giving Police Officers Non-Lethal Alternative

CORRECTION: A previous version of this post stated police fired a warning shot in a December incident. In reality, an officer used a Taser, but didn't make contact with the suspect. The suspect then surrendered. Patch apologizes for the error.

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Tasers are providing non-lethal methods to subdue suspects for police officers throughout the region, the Courier Post reports.

On June 15, Gloucester Township Police reported using a Taser on 43-year-old Joseph Jenson during a domestic dispute.

Jenson had left the scene before police could respond to an emergency call, but returned a short time later.

When he tried to force his way past police, the officers had the option of using a Taser rather than a weapon that would have had a longer-lasting impact.

Following the use of the weapon, Jenson was uninjured in the incident, police said, although he was treated at a local hospital before being released into police custody.

The Gloucester Township Police Department has used a Taser three times, including a December incident in which an officer fired a warning shot using his Taser. The suspect in the incident stopped resisting at that point and was arrested without further incident.

Gloucester Township Police have 44 Tasers in the department, according to the report.

The Cherry Hill Police Department has 40 Tasers and has used them in seven incidents, according to the report.

According to the report, 20 Camden County Police Officers trained in the use of a Taser began carrying the devices, which cost $2,500 each, in May.

Taser use by New Jersey police officers was approved in 2011.

For more, visit courierpostonline.com.