Electronic Control Devices Presentation For Law Enforcement Officers

1. Electronic Control Devices Presentation For Law Enforcement Officers Wisconsin Department of Justice Law Enforcement Standards Board

2. Presentation developed by Wisconsin Law Enforcement Training and Standards Tactical Skills Committee June 2007

3. Where do Electronic Control Devices fit within Intervention Options?

4. Disturbance Resolution • Intervention Options Mode- Purpose-

5. Intervention Options Mode C. Control Alternatives Purpose To overcome passive resistance, active resistance or their threats

6. Intervention Options C. Control Alternatives Tactics/Tools • Escort Holds • Compliance Holds • Control Devices • Passive Countermeasures

7. Intervention Options Control Devices • OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) • ECD (Electronic Control Device)

8. What is the goal of aControl Device? To overcome active resistance or it’s threat

9. What is Active Resistance? Behavior which physically counteracts an officer’s control efforts and which creates a risk of bodily harm to the officer, subject, and/or other persons.

10. Assaultive Behavior (Protective Alternatives) Active Resistance (Control Alternative) VS Suspect Behavior Suspect Behavior Direct actions or conducts that generate bodily harm. *Continued resistance during an encounter increases the chance of injury to the suspect, officer, or other. The longer the encounter lasts the higher the chance of injury to either the suspect and/or officer. Along with the decreased effectiveness the officers faces as he/she combats increased exhaustion. Active Resistance is behavior which physically counteracts an officers efforts to control and which creates risk of bodily harm to the officer, subject, and/or other person.

11. Examples of Assaultive Behavior Examples of Active Resistance Suspect Behavior Suspect Behavior • Pulling Away • Escaping • Getting up after being directed down • Pushing off of a surface that he/she was directed against • Shoving • Grabbing • Punching • Kicking • Tackling

12. What are some ECD’s?

13. Stun Gun A hand-held device directed into a specific body part

14. Stun Guns

15. Stun Belt A belt worn by a suspect and activated by a remote control.

16. Stun Belt

17. Stun Shield A shield designed both to protect an officer from projectiles and to deliver a current.

18. Stun Shield

19. Distance Deployment The probes are attached to wires and shot from the ECD into the subject’s skin. The current then runs from the ECD through the wires and into the body.

20. Distance Deployment

21. Example of a Distance Deployment

22. Electricity

23. Electrical • Electricity must be able to flow between the probes or the electrodes • Electricity follows the path of least resistance between the probes • The greater the spread between the probes on the target, the greater the effectiveness

24. Electrical • Electricity will not pass to others in contact with the subject unless contact is made directly between or on the probes. • Electricity can arc through clothing, even some bullet resistant materials. • Exposure to water will not cause electrocution or increase the power to the subject (the electrical charge is fixed inside the TASER device, and will not increase significantly even with environmental changes).

25. Medically Significant Behavior

26. Medically Significant Behavior Although it is framed within Threat Assessment Opportunities it can be observed, and should be acted upon, during any point of contact within Disturbance Resolution

27. Threat Assessment Opportunities Resistive Tension Early Warning Signs Pre-attack Postures Indications of mental illness, emotional disturbance, and/or medically significant behavior Weapon Control Factors

28. CRIME IN PROGRESS HANDLED BY POLICE During a tour of duty Law Enforcement Officers come in contact with individuals requiring arrest. To make it even simpler “a Bad Guy”

29. MEDICAL CRISIS HANDLED BY EMS During a tour of duty Law Enforcement Officers come in contact with individuals requiring only medical attention. Often times LE Officers focus on getting these individuals medical attention by activating EMS. To make it even simpler “a Sick Person”

30. CRIME IN PROGRESS HANDLED BY POLICE MEDICAL CRISIS HANDLED BY EMS When the circles are apart there is no confusion, and decision making is somewhat routine. However based on the manner in which the behavior is observed, relayed, or reported these two circles could be on a crash course.

31. CRIME IN PROGRESS HANDLED BY POLICE MEDICAL CRISIS HANDLED BY EMS The point in which they overlap is often difficult for officers to properly assess as the call could be reported as a crime, but the interview with family members shows a medical crisis.

32. Why are individuals possibly experiencing MSB a danger to officers? The officer is possibly facing an individual: With a high threshold for pain Who is superhumanly strong With a perception of threat that is delusional.

33. Why are individuals possibly experiencing MSB a danger to the public? If this individual is a threat to a trained and armed officer, then he/she is more dangerous to an untrained/unarmed member of the public.

34. Why are individuals possibly experiencing MSB a danger to themselves? The individual experiencing this type of behavior could very well be on the “Freight Train to Death.” The medical crisis that they are experiencing could be the beginning of a condition that could result in their death unless they are able to receive medical treatment, and even then it could still occur.

35. Medically Significant Behavior Currently the most talked about MSB within the law enforcement community is Excited Delirium.

36. Excited Delirium “ A STATE OF EXTREME MENTAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EXCITEMENT, CHARACTERIZED BY EXTREME AGITATION, HYPERTHERMIA, HOSTILITY, EXCEPTIONAL STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE WITHOUT APPARENT FATIGUE” (MORRISON & SADLER, 2001)

37. Recognizing Excited Delirium • Agitation or Excitement = Increased activity and intensity • Aggressive, threatening or combative – gets worse when challenged or injured • Amazing feats of strength • Pressured loud speech • Sweating (or loss of sweating late) • Dilated pupils/less reactive to light • Rapid breathing

38. Recognizing Excited Delirium • Delirium = Confusion • Disoriented • Person, place, time, purpose • Rapid onset over a short period of recent time • “He just started acting strange” • Easily distracted/lack of focus • Decreased awareness and perception • Rapid changes in emotions (laughter, anger, sadness)

39. Recognizing Excited Delirium • Psychotic = bizarre behavior • Thought content inappropriate for circumstances • Hallucinations (visual or auditory) • Delusions (grandeur, paranoia or reference) • Flight of ideas/tangential thinking • Makes you feel uncomfortable

40. Recognizing MSB • How they act • How they look • What they say and how they say it • What they are doing • How they make you feel • How they respond to you • How they respond to force • How they respond to ECD’s

41. Options when observing signs of Medically Significant Behavior

42. MSB Response Activate EMS as early as possible

43. MSB Response Use MSB as a threat assessment when selecting your force option, while utilizing force, and when applying follow through considerations.

44. Questions? Thanks for your time and attention.