Tulsa Police getting another high tech weapon in fighting crime

Tulsa Police officers will soon have another option when trying to bring in a suspect whoâ€™s resisting arrest. <br><br>News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright says the department is getting new 50,000-volt

Monday, November 10th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa Police officers will soon have another option when trying to bring in a suspect whoâ€™s resisting arrest.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright says the department is getting new 50,000-volt electric tasers.

Tulsa Police Sgt Rick Weigel, "You're hit with an electrical charge and it freezes up your muscles and you're literally frozen in space, you can't move or even speak." The taser contains a nitrogen capsule that's inside the cartridge that's loaded into the weapon. It shoots two small barbs that attach to the suspect's clothes or skin.

Two small copper wires go from the barbs back to the taser. â€œOnce you pull the trigger and the barbs are going, the electricity is already in flow, so when it hits you, you're already hit with the electrical charge."

The taser delivers five seconds of 50,000 volts, it also records the time and date its fired as well as how many times the officer pulled the trigger. The officer knows it's on because the laser sight shows up on the suspect.

Police say a taser will work when something like pepper spray fails. Officers don't expect this to be the answer in all situations, but do hope it keep officers safer and also, save some lives.

The police department just received 30 tasers and hopes to eventually have 200. After an 8-hour training class, officers could be carrying them by early next year.