Let me tell you all about the worst decision of my life.
Well, it probably wasn’t the worst decision because I definitely don’t regret it, but it was definitely a wild ride. I took a Taser, to the back, for five full seconds.
The best way I can even attempt to describe this is like white noise multiplied exponentially inside your body. Throw in some pain and locked up muscles, and that’s what being Tased felt like to me. As soon as the five seconds are up, the electricity stops. The next day, my back felt stiff, and the entry wounds were visible and still tender.
We had the opportunity to actually get shot by the probes or to have the wires taped to our backs and then hit with the Taser. I chose to get shot. Because I’m sharing all my experiences with Current’s readers, I wanted to take full advantage of all the opportunities we are able to experience within the Westfield Police Dept. Citizens’ Academy.
I was one of four who chose to be hit with the Taser and was the only woman to do so. Being Tased isn’t required to graduate, but Lt. Jim Lilly, who gave the Taser presentation, highly encouraged it if we didn’t have any pre-existing health issues.
For those who don’t know, the Taser is a non-lethal weapon that uses electricity and is carried by police officers to subdue suspects. The Taser releases 50,000 volts when it is shot.
For the WPD, Lilly said the department might have five Taser deployments a year for the entire department.
Most police officers are required to be shot with the stun gun as part of training. Although the experience was quite unpleasant and I would highly encourage all Current’s readers to not provoke the police because trust me, being Tased is no fun, I don’t regret the decision. It gives me a better understanding of what police officers experience, and that is the entire point of the class.
Next week, we will go through an active shooter scenario.
