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 Officers receive “shocking” training web posted July 31, 2009 Below: Officer Jeremiah Jones (center)  EDGEFIELD – A joint
training class on the
use of Tasers was held on Thursday at the Edgefield Police Department
that included members of the Edgefield and Johnston Police Departments
as well as the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center.
The class certifies officers to be able to use the Taser in the line of
duty. The all day class is closed to the public, but EdgefieldDaily.com
arrived just in time to be allowed to film various officers
volunteering to be shot by the Taser delivering its 50,000 volts used
to subdue noncompliant suspects or inmates. Aiken County Sheriff’s Sergeant Steve Shunn, who instructed the class, explained that when one is hit with the darts of the Taser, “you may say some things you don’t want your mama to hear”. The first to volunteer to take an actual shot from the Taser was Edgefield County Detention Officer Keith Horton. As other officers stood by his side to support him the darts were fired and struck him in the back completely debilitating him. Fellow officers carefully lowered him to the floor as the five seconds of electricity left him incapable of doing anything but complying with the order to stay down. (Click here for Video) Detention Officer Jeremiah Jones was next. He stood taking deep breaths trying to prepare for his fate when he heard the words, “taser taser taser” and felt the darts strike him leaving him at the mercy of his fellow officers. (Click here for Video) Thinking they would escape the full effect of the actual darts being fired into their backs, the Edgefield Police Department’s newest officer, William Lott, and Johnston Police Officer Joseph Mathis, chose to have the leads from the Taser clipped to their clothing and then activated. Officer Lott was first up with the leads attached to his clothing at the upper left shoulder and his bottom right leg by alligator clips. Little did he know the jolt he was about to take was more debilitating that the ones endured by Horton and Jones. After activation he was helped to the floor and had a few choice words to describe the experience when it was over Officer Lott said he was glad he took the jolt so that if he is ever forced to use the weapon, “they can’t say I don’t know what it’s like to get hit with it”. (Click here for Video) Johnston Police Officer Joseph Mathis said to Officer Lott shortly before he was “hooked up”, “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” Seconds later he was face down on the floor waiting on the five-second electrical current to stop coursing through his body. (Click here for Video) All four men were back on their feet shortly after the Taser being deployed saying they had no negative side effects but were surprised at how debilitating the effects were. Edgefield Police Chief Ronnie Carter observed the training with a bit of glee as he endured being shot with the Taser when it was introduced for use by the Edgefield Police Department in December of 2006. Video of his experience can be found here. Sgt. Shunn stated after the demonstration that officers had fun as they ribbed each other during the exhibition, “but the reality is this is serious business.” Shunn explained that the use of the Taser could save the lives of law enforcement officers in the line of duty. After the exhibition the class returned to a more serious format that the media was not privilege to attend. © Copyright 2009
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