George Hunter

The Detroit News

Detroit — An attack Saturday that sent a rookie police officer to the hospital after a woman wounded him with a sharp object highlights the need for Tasers, Police Chief James Craig said.

Two officers from the 12th Precinct, a recent Police Academy graduate and his field training officer, responded at about 10 a.m. Saturday to a call about a suspicious woman in a house in the 19300 block of Santa Rosa on the city's northwest side.

"The woman let them inside, and as they investigated who she was, she began to spit at one of the officers," Craig said. "She then lunged at the senior officer, the new officer placed himself in her path to protect his partner. The woman quickly deployed a razor she had in her hand, and cut him across his face several times."

The officer was taken to Sinai-Grace Hospital, where he was listed in temporary serious condition.

"I talked to him; he'll recover," Craig said.

Craig said the woman was taken to the Detroit Detention Center on Mound, a facility manned by Michigan Department of Corrections officers, who are equipped with Tasers.

"I'm told she was still agitated, but the staff at the Detention Center advised her they were going to deploy their Tasers," Craig said. "When she saw the red light (of the device), she quickly calmed down."

Craig said he's spoken with Mayor Michael Duggan about the need for Tasers.

"The mayor and I have discussed it; once we have identified that we have the funding, I'm going to make sure the community is brought in to discuss this issue," Craig said. "I'd like to bring in the ACLU and other community groups.

"Some believe they're dangerous and shouldn't be used in policing," Craig said. "My view is different. I think we would see fewer use-of-force incidents if we had them. Right now, we're lining it up, and as soon as we get the funding, we're going to move forward."

In the wake of the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, some people criticized him for not keeping a Taser because he felt the device was uncomfortable. In Ferguson, it's an officer's option whether to have the devices as part of their equipment.

Tasers — which stand for Thomas A. Swift Electric Rifle, named after the fictional young adventurer who invented gadgets — shoot up to 50,000 watts of electricity into a subject.

Some laud Tasers because they give officers a non-lethal option for potentially dangerous suspects. A 2009 study by the Police Executive research forum found that officer injuries fell by 76 percent when Tasers were used.

But others say Tasers are dangerous and even deadly. Officers from Warren Police Department, which began using Tasers in 2006, killed two people with them before the department stopped using them in 2012 because the manufacturer would not guarantee their safety after five years of use.

Ron Scott, director of the Detroit Coalition against Police Brutality, said Tasers are a bad idea for Detroit police.

"It's not a less-than-lethal weapon," he said. "The best weapon for police officers to use for their safety is their mind and voice, not coming up with new toys. Officers' behavior and their relationship with the public is the best way to ensure officer safety."

Scott added: “The chief is using this incident as propaganda to get something he wants.”

Officer Mark Diaz, president of the Detroit Police Officers Association union, disagreed Saturday.

“Those who oppose DPD officers carrying Tasers yet complain of excessive force are only fooling themselves,” Diaz said in a written statement. “Unfortunately in the real world, criminals don't want to go to jail and all too often do everything in their abilities to not go to jail, absent ceasing their criminal ways.

“In their self-serving disregard for the lives of those who serve only to protect our citizens, police officers throughout the nation are brutally attacked every day. It truly saddens me to see that so much as one person in a civilized society would condone violence against anyone, especially against the men and women who, in spite of the recent anti-police fad, continue to put their lives on the line to protect all citizens.

“Though we take our oath of office to protect the citizenry, we do not do so to be a punching bag, shooting target, nor cutting board. Where we do not believe our citizens should be treated in such a manner, neither should our police officers. If a person believes they are being wrongfully arrested, they will receive due process and likely bring civil litigation to compensate them for their inconvenience. The idea of resisting attest is incredibly dangerous and all too often end tragically. Knowing these facts, it stands to reason that those who actively support resisting arrest are showing their lack of care for a peaceful society, rather they are embracing an extremist perspective not suitable for a free nation.”