By Derek Albert

newstnews@bellsouth.net

St. Martinville – After having tabled the issue of implementing TASER electronic control devices (ECDs) for nearly six months, the council opted to get rid of them completely.

The issue was foundered with a 3-2 vote. Council men Arthur Champ, Dennis Williams and Ronald Charles represented the dissenting votes, while Mike Fuselier and Craig Prosper supported the issue.

Getting rid of the ECDs altogether was a measure intended to avoid any future litigation against the city. Fuselier related to the council a case in which a New Orleans man, armed with a knife, was shot dead. The incident was considered a textbook case where a TASER ECD may have saved an assailant's life and avoided expensive lawsuits.

The mayor said he approved the $5,000 ECD purchase, but changed his mind once he saw evidence of police being indicted for TASER-related deaths.

"If we're scared to get sued, we should be living in a bubble. We are going to get sued one way or another," Assistant Police Chief Nary Smith told the council.

Though TASER International and the St. Martin Sheriff's Office sponsored a free conference at the Cade Community Center, no council members or police officials were present.

Nelson said he was informed about the TASER conference that was held in Cade last Wednesday, but opted not to attend because, "that was all paid people who work for the TASER company."

Despite listing off more than a dozen Acadiana law enforcement agencies that employ the TASER ECDs and citing medical research, Fuselier could not convince the mayor or three of the aldermen to back him on the issue.

Champ said the recurring issue with the use of TASER ECDs is the chance of causing fatality due to existing medical conditions that an assailant may have. He cited documents that he said were previously presented to the council that showed proof of the devices' deadly force.

"If a person has a bad heart and you 'tase' that person, that person could die right there on the spot," Champ said.

"There is not one researched case where a TASER is proven to have killed anybody," Fuselier argued.

Craig Prosper concurred with Smith who suggested that the ECDs will be a deterrent to crime and would reduce injury and death.

"I'm sorry to see that this council is being narrow minded," Prosper said. "We may be able to save some lives and not take some lives."

Ronald Charles said he declines the use of the TASER devices because the city, "has not had really any major problems," that warrant the necessity of them.

"As far as the city of St. Martinville is concerned, the TASER is not a need; it is a want," Charles added. "I believe there are other problems within the city that need to be addressed."

Charles said hiring another detective may be more of a priority for the department than issuing the TASERs.

Dennis Williams agreed with Charles saying the council should consider the safety of its constituents. Though contesting the department's request for the devices, he commended the SMPD.

"I think the police department is doing a wonderful job," Williams said. "We don't have the need for that. We have other serious issues."

Nelson questioned Smith about the use of pepper spray within the SMPD ranks as a alternative to using ECDs.

"Pepper spray is not always effective," Smith said. "Sometimes it doesn't do anything at all. It doesn't effect everybody in the same way."