In Indiana, like in many places, police officers who are to be outfitted with Tasers are first shocked with them, to give them an understanding of the pain that can be inflicted with the device.

In Indiana, like in many places, some of those officers have medical conditions. Like other intelligent people would, one of these people checked with his doctor before getting hit with the Taser — he has damaged vertebrae and a metal plate in his back. His doctors said don’t do it. So he didn’t. He was fired.

The officer is suing, naturally. What I find funny are the reasons given in the article for the need to fire the officer:

Reason One: Every single person who underwent the training found value in the exposure. I would never put one of my officers in danger. The vast majority of Taser injuries come from falls, which is why we have the training on a mat with people holding the person (getting Tased).
Rebuttal: Why does the Sheriff feel that his understanding of the danger is better than the officer’s doctors? If he really was trying to keep his officers out of harms way, they would all be required to check with their doctors first, and he would abide by the doctors’ recommendation.

Reason Two: You have to question if someone is fit for duty if they say they can’t train for a situation that might occur in real life. What happens if you’re wrestling with a suspect, and he grabs your Taser (and shoots you)? If you can’t perform your duties, you’re putting everyone else at risk.
Rebuttal: Other things that can happen to police officers in the course of duty: Being shot with a gun; being hit with a car; being stabbed. Does the Sheriff require all his officers to undergo these things? Also; being hit with a Taser should incapacitate the police officer — how does this experience help to train them to deal with the experience in the field?

Reason Three: A couple of officers with heart issues were cleared by their doctors to be Tased. Their doctors told them there was no evidence that it would be harmful, so to go ahead and do it.
Rebuttal: There may be a slight difference between a heart condition and a back injury. I’m not a doctor, though, so perhaps you should not take my word on this. However my initial reaction is to think that the conditions are not the same, and it may not be worthwhile to compare the differing opinions received.

Of course, you are encouraged to check out the article yourself.
Photo by Ninja IX.