Sardis officers get Taser training
By Field Manley

Officer Ed James reacts as he is shocked by the Taser. See more photos, page 9

He could feel the electrical pulse and his muscles locked up.

Chief John Finley was the first of the Sardis Police Department to know what it feels like to be hit with the Taser.

Chief Finley took one for the team when he volunteered to be shot with the barbs that pierce the skin. The rest of the officers were also tased but without the barbs.

Even though Taser International does not require officers being certified to get tased, Chief Finley wanted to know what it would feel like when he or his officers did it to someone else.

"I feel like it is necessary to know what the tool is capable of," he said.

Experts say the Taser is a non lethal tool that has saved many lives during its existence and is another option an officer has to help avoid the use of deadly force. "Many times in this area an officer is by himself and far away from backup," Chief Finley stated. "But with the Taser you have a fivesecond window to cuff and detain your suspect while you wait on backup."

The Taser shoots two metal barbs, above, into the offender's body, and the amps travel back and forth between the two points. Right, the Sardis Police Department is now equipped with these Tasers.

His office is low on manpower right now with only five officers employed.

The Taser operates with 50,000 volts of electricity. It's not the volts, but amps that affect the nervous system. Usually an officer will shock a suspect for five seconds, but for the training course, instructor Brent Dickerson said you get the idea within one or two seconds. The Taser does not solely rely on pain to achieve compliance; it actually affects the sensory and motor functions of the nervous system. When each officer was shocked he would let out a shriek and go almost limp.

There is more to the Taser than just shock value. Every time a Taser is used it releases tiny bits of confetti with a serial number on them. These pieces of confetti are called AFIDS (Anti Felon Identification System). If an officer's Taser is stolen and later used in a crime, it can be traced using the serial numbers.

Sardis is the first agency in Burke County to get certified in Taser training and they are already carrying them. To get the funds to buy the Tasers, Chief Finley's office sold old equipment on the internet. Outfitting his officers cost an estimated $8,000.

"A gun on your hip is life insurance," instructor Dickerson told the officers. "But a Taser on your hip is health insurance."