WOODBRIDGE -- The suicidal man holds a knife to his throat as police officers move toward him.

"Don't do it son," urges one patrolman, who then fires a Taser at the man.

The Taser darts hit their mark.

The emotionally disturbed man drops the knife and goes down. Woodbridge police officers take him to a nearby hospital for evaluation. No charges are filed and no one is seriously hurt.

The video, recently obtained by NJ Advance Media, is the second time a police agency in Middlesex County has used the device to quell a dangerous situation. The first occurred in Sayreville in 2013.

It occurred just days after Old Bridge police shot and killed a 75-year-old man who refused to put down a kitchen knife.

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And although there are more than 400 Tasers available in police departments across New Jersey, the weapons have been deployed only 30 times since 2010, according to statistics provided by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office.

The reasons? Cost and strict state guidelines for using the weapons.

NJ TASER DEPLOYMENTS

So far, New Jersey police have been slow to use the devices. There have been just 30 deployments since 2010. Here is a breakdown by counties where the devices have been used:

• Camden: 16

• Bergen: 7

• Burlington: 4

• Middlesex: 2

• Somerset: 1

• State police: 1

Source: N.J. Attorney General

RESTRICTIONS

In October 2010, Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor revised the policy governing the use of stun guns or Tasers by law enforcement officers in New Jersey.

"The new policy continues to restrict use of stun guns, for the most part, to situations where an officer seeks to prevent a suspect from causing death or serious bodily injury to an officer, to another person, or to himself or herself," Dow and Taylor announced in a joint news release.

Law enforcement officers are forbidden from using Tasers "against a person who is only offering passive resistance to commands," according to the policy.

The policy requires that all officers who carry stun guns receive training approved by the Police Training Commission. The officers are required to re-qualify every six months.

"The guidelines are very strict in comparison to other states," said Dan Keashen, Camden County spokesman.

Keashen said police in Camden County are encouraged to use Tasers as a less lethal alternative.

"It's a great tool and we're glad to have a non-lethal option," Keashen said.

The Carteret Police Department has access to one Taser, and one officer is certified to use the weapon.

Carteret police Lt. Mike Dammann said the guidelines call for using a Taser only in "deadly force encounters" or in a standoff with a suicidal person refusing to drop a weapon.

"The guidelines are very restrictive," Dammann said. "In a deadly force encounter, you're probably going to use deadly force."

COST

There are two models authorized for use by law enforcement in New Jersey: Taser X2 and Taser X26.

The one used in Woodbridge is a Taser X2. Both devices use compressed nitrogen to propel two darts with electrified wire and fire 15 to 35 feet.

One Taser can cost a police department up to $2,500 after purchase of the device, cartridges and other necessary equipment.

Within the past year, the state has recognized that police departments need funding to purchase Tasers and related equipment.

New Jersey's Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced last year that the state would provide $1 million to assist law enforcement agencies in purchasing the devices, which Hoffman called "a lifesaving alternative to deadly force in certain crisis situations" in a June 2014 news release.

The funding is being provided by the Division of Criminal Justice using criminal forfeiture funds. The deadline for police agencies to apply for funding was Dec. 31, 2014.

"We are reviewing the submissions now, so none of those funds have been distributed yet," said Peter Aseltine, a spokesman for the state Attorney General's Office

LESS THAN LETHAL

The incident in Woodbridge occurred about 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 in the Hopelawn section of town. It's is the first time a police officer in Middlesex County has subdued a person using a Taser.

"It's fortunate, very fortunate we were able to use this device," said Woodbridge police Capt. Roy Hoppock.

The one-minute interaction was captured on video because the state policy requires that police using Tasers and stun guns must have a way to record the deployment of the device.

The Woodbridge incident occurred just six days after Old Bridge police shot and killed a 75-year-old man armed with a knife.

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Old Bridge police shoot, kill 75-year-old man who threatened family with kitchen knife

NJ FATAL POLICE SHOOTINGS

There were seven police shootings in New Jersey resulting in death in 2013 and 2014. Police say many of the shootings involved an emotionally disturbed person armed with a knife:

• Karlando F. Roberts, 32, shot by East Orange police on Jan. 14, 2013 after refusing to drop a knife

• Dixon Rodriguez, 32, shot by Perth Amboy police on Dec. 4, 2013 after attacking an officer with a knife

• Andrew Murnieks, 28, shot by police in South Brunswick on Nov. 20, 2013 after brandishing a knife

• John DelValle, 46, shot by Elizabeth police on June 29, 2014 after refusing to drop a knife

In 2013 and 2014, seven people were shot and killed by police in New Jersey. Nineteen other police-involved shootings left suspects with serious bodily injury.

In four of the five fatal shootings, the deceased had been armed with a knife. Many of the shootings began as domestic disturbances and involved an emotionally disturbed person.

One person who would like to see police using Tasers rather than handguns is Rocco Maltese of Hillside.

Maltese was a friend of Talbot Schroeder, the 75-year-old man shot and killed by police in Old Bridge last month.

Police said Schroeder had cut himself with a knife and inflicted a minor injury on a family member. An officer reportedly ordered Schroeder to put down the knife.

When Schroeder refused, the officer shot him.

"The police should have non-lethal options," Maltese said. "It shouldn't be 'I'm going to arrest you or you're going to die.' (Firearms) end lives. Nobody needed to die that day."

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.