Stun gun to include data capture option

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A new video and audio recording system will be optionally available for TASER conducted energy weapons, the company announced last week at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Los Angeles. Shipments are expected by mid-2005.

Available as the Video Digital Power Magazine module for the TASER X26 weapon, TASER said it developed the system on its own dime after being rejected for a government grant. The system could be used to capture data when the stun gun is used by police.

The X26 is an existing product line, sold only to law enforcement agencies (a reduced range version is available to consumers, for $999.) The new video module is built into a new snap-in, rechargeable power pack, with the camera's lens located at the very bottom of the weapon's handle.

The X26 shoots a "probe," attached by a thin electrical wire that runs back to the weapon. It has a 21-foot (7-meters) range, and can penetrate up to 2 inches (5 cm) of clothing. It delivers a 50,000-volt shock at 151-mA RMS body current (shocks are pulsed, TASER says the average current is 2.1mA.) As long as the wire stays connected, the conducted energy weapon can be used repeatedly to deliver multiple bursts of electrical shock pulses. Operating modes include an automatic 5-second burst, or bursts of 0 to 5 seconds at about 15 pulses per second. The power source is a 6-volt lithium battery, which provides up to 300 firings.

The original X26 includes a USB data port, which until now has been used to transfer information about time, date and duration of each firing, stored in memory contained in the battery pack (which TASER calls a "Digital Power Magazine.") New software, compatible with Windows PCs, will provide for downloading video and audio files from the weapon through the USB port.

"The video magazine allows officers to capture vital information prior to, during and after the deployment of nonlethal force," Rick Smith, CEO of TASER, said in a statement. "Recent advances in audio video compression technology will make the video magazine a cost effective, powerful extension to the TASER X26 capability set."

Despite TASER's motto — "Saving Lives Every Day" — the safety and wisdom of using the weapons in law enforcement has been questioned in recent years, following widely publicized cases where this "non lethal" technology resulted in death. Organizations like the Campaign to Ban Less Lethal Weapons have sprung up to protest stun guns. With police departments under increasing scrutiny in their use of these weapons, video recordings showing how they are used could become potent elements in the debate.

When pressed for technical details about the new video module, a TASER spokesperson said, "At this point, we're still in the process of component selection. We don't want to release specifications until the electronics design is finalized and all trade-off decisions have been made." That will be in early January, they expect.