Roch"ler, MN
POST- BULLETIN
Rolheller-Mnon CI1y -AulDn
MltAr..

042,960

ThurSday

NOV

28. 2002

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1I[1[1[1PREss

P3282
CLIPPINGS

Policearl1'led wi!~PAGEnew Taser guns
By Janice CiJegorsQIl.

.

grogor@poStbcifetin.ccm

A new policy and new.
Taser stun guns are now in
use by the Rochester Police
Department. I .
'
. The changes follow a
review of department procedures and equipment made
a~er Ii city man was shot by
a police officer who thought
he had fired his electric stun
gun Instead of his handgun.
That shooting occun'ed .
Sept. 2'when officers were
responding to a call about an

intoxicated man who was

'.' '~Jacob8onIPOst.Bulletln
fighting and damaging proPerty.
The Rochester Police Departil'ulllt has switched to a
Christofar Atak, 31, ended different model of the Taser Gun•.
up being shot once In the
charges will be filed agairu;t ruled accidental, the i1iclback and spent several
the officer or Atak The Atak dent automatically triggered
weeks in the hospital.
family also has hired civil
an :.internal review of departAuthorities said the officer,
trial lawyers to invf¥jtigate
.ment policy and the equ~pGreg Siem, was'trylng to
the incident
n1enl '
subdue an intoxicated Atak
Police
Chief
Roger
Police Capl Jim Pittenger
who was scuffiing with
Peterson said at the time
s~id Wednesday that the ~oal
another officer when he
the Taser stun gun in
is to make the gun more disused his handgun in$tead of that
use
by
the
department
tli)gulshable
and still ml!ke it
his Taser.
looked and felt identical to
a Safe option for officers to
The Miimesota Bureau of
handguns used by the offiu!:ie in emergency situations.
Criminal Apprehension
cers. In this cas~, he said·
. The new 'laser stun gun is
IIivesligated the shooting and Slem mista~nly !:':abbed his . yellow as opposed to black,
has nded it an accident. The .handgun, thlDklnglt was the and has a slightly different
matter is still under review
stun gun.
grip.
by the Ramsey County Attorthe
shooting
was
''That means that visually
While
neYs Office to determine If

"Visually It Is
Identifiable as a Taser
as opposed to being a
handgun."
~

Police Capt. Jim Pittenger

It Is identifiable as a Teser
as opposed to being a
handgun," Pittenger said.
That benefits the officer and
citizens who immediately
know it is not a real gun.
Policy changes also have
been made, Pittenger said.

Each officer now must
carry the stun gun on the

opposite side of where the
officer's handgun is carried.
Siem was carrying both his
handgun and Teser on the
same side the night Atak was
shol
When not in use, the stun
gun must be carried in a
fanny-pack type compart-

ment
. Electric stun guns became
standard equipment In all
city squad cars In June 2001
as a tool to help officers
subdue violent people
without causing permanent
injury.