Speech

Tuesday, during an afternoon of studying at the CUB lounge, onlookers were 'treated' to a fellow student being Tased in a demonstration by local police during a forum on less-lethal methods of force.

"It was an extreme amount of pain at once," Taser volunteer and WSU police intern Brandon Wilson said.

Wilson, a junior criminal justice major at WSU, stiffened when the barbs hit him and had to be lowered to the ground by the police officer supports at his sides.

The Taser demonstration was the capstone of the day's presentation by WSU and Pullman police officers, organized by the WSU Police Advisory Board. The goal of this and the two upcoming forums (on Oct. 13 and Nov. 10) was to create more face to face time for police officers and students, WSU Chief of Police Bill Gardner said.

The most effective way officers have found to reduce crime in Pullman is to know students and residents on a first-name basis and build relationships with them, Gardner said. The forum series is a step in that direction as well as a source of information for students about police action.

This forum covered force police officers employ, from presence to lethal action, focusing on tactics in the middle such as physical force, various sprays and smokes and the Taser.

"We want to let students know that officers have a lot of choices and we try to use the minimum force, we are not trying to seriously harm," Pullman Police Officer Scott Kirk said.

Kirk discussed police force resources to a fluctuating crowd of about 30 students pausing on their walk through the CUB or in their work to listen. He explained how each tool functions, its uses and reactions. When he came to Tasers he went into especial detail, explaining the science behind the volts and amps to be clear that Tasers are not lethal.

After the demonstration, students asked questions about Tasers and how they work.

WSU Police Officer Kelly Stewart began the forum with a PowerPoint overview of the use of force, discussing important court cases, concepts like the Use of Force Continuum and the meanings of 'objectively reasonable' and 'necessary'.

Stewart explained that each agency has a Use of Force Continuum to explain the escalation of force and how officers should respond to actions. He showed the WSU Police Use of Force Continuum, detailing each step.

Police action must be considered reasonable and necessary by an objective third party to be considered justified, Stewart said.

"No reasonable effective alternative to the use of force you used appeared to exist and the amount of force used needs to be reasonable to affect your lawful purpose," Stewart said was the definition of 'necessary'. This is a definition all officers must have memorized, he said.

Gardner compared police force today to when he started in the police force and officers only carried a baton. Today’s force is preferable, he said.

"I’ve got zero to baton," he said about the continuum of force years ago. Even compared to a Taser, a baton is going to cause more damage and have a lasting impact, he said.

The next two police forums from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 13 and Nov. 10 are about crime scenes and drug dogs respectively.

Sources:
* WSU Police Chief Bill Gardner: 509-335-8548
* WSU Police Officer Kelly Stewart: 509-335-4408
* Pullman Police Officer Scott Kirk: 509-332-0802
* WSU student Brandon Wilson: banw83@msn.com

Questions:
* Are any of the sprays used by police officers harmful to the environment?
* Why does each agency create its own Use of Force Continuum, how do you create it and what is its purpose?
* Who organized these forums and what was their purpose?