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WEARING BAGGY PANTS THAT
EXPOSE UNDERWEAR.
A TASK FORCE SCHEDULED TO TALK
ABOUT THAT IDEA AT A
MEETING TOMORROW EVENING.
>>> DEKALB COUNTY POLICE
TOOK ANOTHER STEP TOWARD THE
POSSIBILITY OF PUTTING TASERS
BACK ON THE STREET TODAY,
AND IT INVOLVES SHOOTING
SEVERAL OFFICERS WITH THE
TASER.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR A
DEPARTME THAT WAS IN THE
NEWS LAST YEAR FOR THE NUMBER
OF SUSPECTS ITS OFFICERS
SHOT.
CHANNEL 2 INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
MARK WINNE JOINS US
LIVE FROM THE POLICE ACADEMY.
>>REPORTER: DEKALB POLICE CHIEF
TERRELL BOLTON TOLD
ME TODAY THAT BY THIS TIME
LAST YEAR DEKALB POLICE HAD
SHOT NINE PEOPLE.
HE SAID SO FAR THIS YEAR
THERE HAS BEEN ONE, BUT HE SAYS
A TASER MAY HAVE PREVENTED THAT.
>> FELT LIKE I GOT HIT IN THE
BACK WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER.
>> LIKE A JACK HAMMER.
>> FELT LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN
HITTING YOU.
>> I FELT LIKE I WANTED TO RUN,
BUT I COULDN'T.
>>REPORTER: A MORNING JOLT,
AND WE DON'T MEAN
COFFEE.
DEKALB POLICE ACADEMY, THE
IDEA --
>> IT'S REDUCING INJURIES TO
OFFICERS.
>>REPORTER: SERGEANT ART SAYS
IT'S TO TRAIN THE
TRAINEES.
TRAINING INSTRUCTORS WHO WILL
TEACH OFFICERS TO USE
TASER ELECTRONIC DEVICES IF
THEY ARE DEPLOYED TO
OFFICERS.
>> THAT'S GOOD TRAINING.
>>REPORTER: IT'S
KNOWING FIRSTHAND WHAT IT FEELS
LIKE TO HAVE THOSE TWO BARBS
SLAM INTO YOUR BACK AND THE
CURRENT COURSE THROUGH YOU.
>> IF YOU DO IT TO A SUSPECT,
YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT
FEELS LIKE SO YOU DON'T OVERUSE
IT.
>> PULL IT FAST.
>> THE LIKELIHOOD OF
ABUSE DECREASES IF YOU'VE GONE
THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE YOURSELF.
>>REPORTER: THE CHIEF SAYS
IF THE COUNTY COMMISSION
APPROVES FUNDING, EVERY DEKALB
OFFICER ON THE STREET
WILL BE ISSUED A TASER.
>> EVERY OFFICER THAT WILL BE
ISSUED -- WOULD BE ISSUED
A TASER WILL EXPERIENCE
THE DISCHARGE OF A TASER.
>>REPORTER: SUGGESTS THE TASER
IS NOT THE END-ALL
CURE FOR EVERY SITUATION.
WILL PEOPLE SURVIVE THAT
WOULDN'T OTHERWISE?
>> YES, SIR.
IN FACT, WE'VE RECENTLY HAD A
MEETING THAT HAD WE HAD
THE TASER ON THE SCENE AND
BEEN ABLE TO GET IT AND
DEPLOY IT QUICKLY ENOUGH,
WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE NEVER
USED LETHAL FORCE ON THE
INDIVIDUAL.
>>REPORTER: NOW, NO QUESTION,
THERE IS CONTROVERSY
ABOUT THE TASER.
OTHER SYSTEMS MAY HAVE
ADVANTAGES IN CERTAIN
SITUATIONS.
ASK YOURSELF, THOUGH, IF YOU GET
HIT BY ONE OF THESE,
YOU KNOW, HOW LONG IS THE
PAIN GOING TO LAST, WHEN WILL
IT GO AWAY.
THE SENSE I GET IS THAT IF ALL
GOES RIGHT WITH THE
TASER, THE PAIN SUBSIDES
SOON AFTER THE DISCHARGE IS
OVER.
I GOT A LITTLE
FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE TODAY.
I WAS SHOT WITH A TASER, WE PLAN
TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT
ON CHANNEL 2 ACTION NEWS AT
6:00.
>> THANK YOU, MARK.
>>> NOW MORE DETAILS ON THE
POLICE INCIDENTS BEHIND THE
TASER POLICY CHANGE.
DEKALB COUNTY POLICE WERE
INVOLVED IN NEARLY TWO DOZEN
POLICE SHOOTINGS IN 2006,
AND THE SUSPECT DIED IN 12 OF
THOSE CASES.
A SPECIAL GRAND JURY HAS BEEN
INVESTIGATING, BUT IN EACH
OF THOSE CASES, POLICE RULED THE
OFFICERS WERE JUSTIFIED
IN THEIR USE OF FORCE.
>>> OUR
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY COVERAGE
BEGINNING IN DEKALB
COUNTY THIS EVENING WHERE
MAJOR CHANGES ARE ON THE WAY
TO DOZENS OF SCHOOLS.
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
CRAWFORD LEWIS WANTS TO ADD SIX
NEW PROGRAMS IN AT LEAST 38
SCHOOLS.
CHANGES WOULD INCLUDE NEW
SINGLE-GENDER SCHOOLS AND
SETTING ACADEMIC
STANDARDS BEFORE STATE
REQUIREMENTS.
THE DEKALB SCHOOL BOARD
STILL MUST APPROVE THIS PLAN.
>>> IN GWINNETT COUNTY,
LAWRENCEVILLE POLICE TELL US
THEY EXPECT MORE VICTIMS TO COME
FORWARD IN A ***
ASSAULT CASE.
THREE WOMEN HAVE ACCUSED