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Missoula police officers have used their Taser weapons 138 times in the four years since first hanging the “less-than-lethal” devices on their duty belts, department officials reported Wednesday.

Police Chief Mark Muir and Capt. Chris Odlin put the number into context during a presentation before the Missoula City Council's Public Safety and Health Committee. They were responding to requests from one member who wanted reassurance about the department's use-of-force policies before approving a federal grant that would add eight Tasers to the department's arsenal.

“I asked them to make a presentation about the Taser usage within the police department because I have a concern about use of force within the police department,” said Ward 3 Councilwoman Stacy Rye. “They did a fabulous job reassuring me, not only that they are using them correctly, but also about how they have gotten rid of batons in the process and improved their training programs.”

Muir and Odlin handed out spreadsheets showing council members precisely how the weapons were used in the past four years. The tabulation opens in September 2004 with a “display-only application” against a fleeing suspect, and ends Nov. 13 with a “drive-stun” against a man who was resisting arrest.

Since the Taser program began, there have been 45 “display-only” deployments, meaning an officer merely pointed the weapon at a suspect. Muir reported 75 instances where the weapon's barbed probes were actually fired at a suspect, and 27 drive-stuns, in which the weapon is pressed against the body.

In 18 cases, the suspect has been armed, and of the 138 applications, only eight suspects have been women. There have also been 17 cases where the Taser was not effective in bringing the suspect under control, usually due to thick winter clothing, Odlin said.

At stake was the Bureau of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, which provides numerous agencies with funding. While Rye didn't want to put the kibosh on drug grants or task forces, she needed convincing that Tasers were being used humanely.

“I didn't want to not get the grant, but I wasn't sure how I feel about the Tasers yet,” she said. “I'm fairly well at ease now.”

In previous years, the Missoula Police Department has used the grant primarily to fund its Taser program, which includes training for officers. This year, Muir said, he intends to put the $8,200 toward eight new weapons and two holsters, giving every officer an opportunity to carry the weapon.

Muir also noted changes the department has made to its use-of-force policy over the years, and said two such changes were born of officers' misuse of a Taser.

Several years ago, an officer stunned a “somewhat combative, handcuffed person,” who was partially inside a patrol car, Muir said. The suspect was kicking at the door, preventing the officer from closing it.

“The review showed that the officer had other options, and the individual was disciplined,” Muir said.

The department's policy now says that except in extraordinary circumstances, a Taser cannot be used on a person in handcuffs, Muir said.

In another instance, an officer stunned a young teenager who was resisting arrest and, after reviewing the case, officials decided officers should be prohibited from using a Taser on children.

Every use-of-force instance requires a formal review, Muir said, even if a Taser is merely drawn.

“We stay on top of this stuff,” Muir said. “We're not trying to hide anything, and there's still things we recognize that we need to work on.”

Reporter Tristan Scott can be reached at 523-5264 or at tscott@missoulian.com.

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