Denver police clarifies Taser policy after proposed changes surface
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Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Steve Nehf/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Denver police say a recent Taser policy rewrite was published "in error" after the city's Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM) publicly warned the updated policy expanded officers' right to use their stun guns.
Why it matters: The watchdog says the rewrite could increase unnecessary Taser use, while the department's mistake raises questions about how the policy was mistakenly published prior to proper review.
State of play: Denver police says the proposed revision was "published in error," saying in a Friday statement to Axios that it had not changed the department's Taser's use policy, despite what the OIM's report said.
- DPD clarified it rescinded the changes once the department caught the error.
Catch up quick: The OIM report published this week noted DPD loosened its Taser policy on April 14, allowing officers to use the stun gun on people who are not attacking or threatening officers or others.
- The report says DPD revised its policy without allowing the watchdog agency to review changes or provide feedback, which the city's Department of Safety requested from the OIM by April 23.
However, DPD says recommendations made by the OIM are still subject to review and response.
Context: DPD says it needs to change its current policy after the department upgraded its Taser model with a new contract inked last December.
- The agreement with manufacturer Axon — the same company supplying the city's license plate readers — supplied DPD with tasers with less voltage than previous models.
- The new devices have higher cartridge capacities and longer ranges, specifications shared by DPD show.
The intrigue: The proposed policy will allow officers to use the devices before someone is actively aggressive toward an officer, an option DPD says "could reduce the possibility of more serious injury."
Yes, but: Tasers can still be deadly in some cases. And use-of-force cases in Denver continue to rise while inappropriate uses of force have cost the city millions in settlements.
Flashback: The previous Taser policy dates to June 2019, and it is based on recommendations from an advisory committee including the OIM's office, City Council and members of the public.
- Proper use of Tasers previously included "to incapacitate, safely control, or take into custody an individual whose conduct rises to active aggression," per the OIM report.
The new proposal changes the threshold to allow Taser use for "defensive resistance."
- That's defined as "physical actions that attempt to prevent an officer's control" — such as attempting to flee — but that aren't attempting to harm an officer.
What we're watching: How Denver police incorporated the OIM's recommendations.