A 22-year-old Anacortes man was Tased by police after allegedly pulling a knife on his roommate, throwing a glass bottle at officers and brandishing what appeared to be small black handgun at police.
Officers responded around 10 p.m. Thursday night after the 20-year-old roommate reported the man pulled a knife on her. She said the man had been drinking, was suicidal and was destroying their apartment.
When the first officer arrived, the man reportedly threw a glass bottle and raised the gun, telling the officer to shoot him. A second officer arrived and used a Taser on the man.
The small handgun turned out to be a Co2 pellet gun.
The man was transported to Island Hospital for an evaluation and then booked into Skagit County Jail. He has an investigative hold on charges of assault.
Anacortes Police Chief Bonnie Bowers said the officers handled the incident well, with one prepared to use deadly force and the other ready to use a Taser, an electroshock weapon.
“That’s what we want to do. We want to have both options,” she said. “(Using the Taser) was in lieu of shooting the guy.”
Thursday’s Tasering was the third to date this year at the department.
“In the scheme of things that’s not a lot,” Bowers said. “All three of them were very justified uses and we are very judicious with that.”
The use of Tasers here has concerned some community residents. And across the country, questions have been raised about controls police departments put on the use of Tasers.
Tasers work by firing twin metal barbs that emit a 50,000-volt charge into an individual, causing him to collapse from loss of muscular control.
The Anacortes Police Department tracks every instance where force is used.
When dealing with a suspect, Bowers said there are escalating options officers have — from verbal orders to physical tactics to the use of tools like batons, pepper spray, Tasers and guns.
“We use the least amount of force to accomplish our objective,” she said. “Every one of our tools has limitations. Our officers have a tool belt of options.”
Officers are trained on when to use their Tasers.
“If someone has a knife or pellet gun it is a much better option than shooting them,” Bowers said.
She said most suspects are subdued using verbal orders.
So far this year there have been 12 instances where officers used force out of the 262 arrests to date.
Use of force includes “hands-on” or defensive tactics, displaying a Taser or gun or using either. Bowers said it can be as simple as an officer unholstering his or her gun when searching a building.
“We might not be pointing our gun at someone but just have it out,” she said.
Most force incidents involve people under the influence or people who are mentally ill and a danger to themselves or others, she said.
Of the 18 patrol officers, 15 have chosen to carry Tasers. All three patrol sergeants also have Tasers.
Bowers said officers go out of their way not to escalate their use of force but have to balance that against the public’s safety — and their own.
“We are law enforcement officers and we have a duty to keep our community safe,” she said. “Do we like Tasers? No. I’ve been Tased. It hurts. But I’d much rather use that tool than have an officer injured or let somebody who is a danger to the community escape.”
APD use of force
2007
• 11 incidents of defensive tactics
• 6 displays of a gun
• 4 Taser uses
2008 to date
• 4 incidents of defensive tactics
• 1 display of a gun
• 3 Taser uses
