Authorities in Wisconsin recently arrested a father and son in connection with the theft of a police Taser after the pair were seen in a video on YouTube stunning each other with the weapon, the Associated Press reported.
The son, 22, is accused of taking the Taser from a squad car on New Year’s Day, according to the report. What was he doing in the vehicle? His car had gone into a ditch, and the responding officer let the man warm himself in the squad.
So this is a laugher, humorous and unimportant. A couple of goofs deployed a Taser on each other, uploaded the video to YouTube and thereby showed the world evidence of their crime. And an officer looks a little bit foolish.
But the officer was lucky that things did end laughably. This could have been much worse. The officer’s weapon could have been used on an innocent bystander. It could have been used to commit another crime. Or, heaven forbid, the officer could have had to use deadly force to get the weapon back.
This serves as a timely reminder that as an officer you need to be careful when you put subjects into your squad for any reason. There is truth to the maxim, “No good deed goes unpunished.” This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t allow individuals to warm up in your squad, but that you need to always practice officer safety when dealing with the public under any circumstances. This includes maintaining control of your weapons.
When you bring subjects into your squad for any reason, they are in your personal space, in close proximity to you as well as your weapons, equipment and personal property. Stay alert and prepare for the worst. That way you will never be surprised.
Question 1: What do you have sitting on the often-unlocked front seat of your squad in plain view or unsecured in your duty bag or briefcase?
Possible answers: Backup guns, spare magazines, knives, batons, OC spray, a Taser — just to name a few.
Question 2: If something were stolen, how long would it take for you to realize it was stolen?
Definite answer: Too long.
Again, this doesn’t mean that you never put anyone into your squad to warm up. It means that when you do, you’ve considered the worst that could happen and taken steps to prevent it.
