Police officers used electroshock weapon 1,730 times in six months

Police officers used their electroshock weapons 1,730 times in the first six months since it was rolled out nationwide in January, the police said on Tuesday. In 1,279 of these cases, the officers only threatened the suspect with the taser. In the other 451, they actually shocked someone.

According to the police, the injuries to the people the police tasered were limited to “one or two small wounds from the darts.” Five people suffered more serious injuries, mainly from falling. The injuries include head wounds, a broken jaw, and a dislocated shoulder.

After a test phase, the police made electroshock weapons part of police officers’ kits in January. These figures go up until June 30. Then, 10,000 cops were trained and authorized to use the taser. The police aim to keep this number growing.

The weapon fires live wires that temporarily prevent a person from moving their muscles. The device can also be placed directly on the suspect’s skin in stun mode to give a direct pain stimulus. Cops used the electroshock weapon 23 times in this way in the past six months. Amnesty International, among others, has criticized this method, saying it entails “unacceptable health risks.”

On July 1 this year, a man died in Franeker after being shocked by police officers. According to the police, who had responded to a request for assistance, the man had vigorously resisted arrest, and officers were forced to use pepper spray and the electroshock weapon on him. The investigation into his death is still ongoing.