We are deeply concerned that some public commentators are using the police shooting of Steven Wallace in Waitara on 30 April 2000 to support the introduction of taser guns.
Those who use this argument appear to be unaware that Steven would not have been killed if police procedure regarding the use of lethal force had been followed correctly.
There were other ways that situation could have been handled: there were after all three police officers at the scene, they had batons and pepper spray, and a police canine unit was on its way. What should have been the final option - the use of firearms against someone who did not have a distance weapon - appears to have been the first and only option considered that night.
The failure to follow procedure in Steven's case, and in other situations involving police use of firearms and pepper spray, highlights one of the most compelling reasons for not issuing tasers to NZ police officers - there is no guarantee that this potentially lethal weapon will be used only as a last resort when all other less extreme options have been explored.
Furthermore, the argument that the use of a taser on Steven would not have resulted in his death has limited validity as that is something which cannot be established now. The use of a taser could have killed him just as surely as the bullets did - the number of fatalities caused by police use of tasers in other countries is another of the compelling reasons why tasers should not be introduced here. Peace Movement Aotearoa
