2010/08: Should tasers be available to general duties police officers throughout Australia?

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2008/28: The shooting of Tyler Cassidy: did Victoria Police officers act appropriately?

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2010/08: Should tasers be available to general duties police officers throughout Australia?

What they said...
'Any use of force option carries with it risks, however tasers have proven themselves to be a relatively safe option in a range of situations, especially considering that they often replace the use of firearms'
The Queensland Police Service

'Tasers are not the "non-lethal" weapons they are portrayed to be. They can kill and should only be used as a last resort'
Angela Wright, a United States researcher for Amnesty International

The issue at a glance
On February 25, 2010, it was announced that Victoria Police would begin trialling taser stun guns in regional Victoria.
Police in Bendigo and Morwell will be trained to use the guns before the trial begins in July. Similar trials are already being conducted in South Australia. This means only the Australian Federal Police and Tasmanian police have neither trialled these weapons nor already have them available to their general duties officers.
Police unions throughout Australia have called for taser guns to be issued to all patrol officers. Civil liberties groups and others are concerned that the guns are far more hazardous than is usually acknowledged and their general use would represent a dangerous and unnecessary development.

Background
A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects 'neuromuscular incapacitation' and the devices' mechanism 'Electro-Muscular Disruption (EMD) technology'.
Someone struck by a Taser experiences stimulation of his or her sensory nerves and motor nerves, resulting in strong involuntary muscle contractions.
Tasers do not rely only on pain compliance, except when used in Drive Stun mode, and are thus preferred by some law enforcement over non-Taser stun guns and other electronic control weapons.
At the present time, there are two main police models, the M26 and X26. Both come with various accessories, including a laser sight and optional mounted digital video camera that can record in low-light situations. Taser International is also marketing a civilian model called the C2.
On 27 July 2009, Taser introduced the X3, capable of subduing 3 suspects without reload.
The Taser fires two small dart-like electrodes, which stay connected to the main unit by conductive wire as they are propelled by small compressed nitrogen charges similar to some air gun or paintball marker propellants. The air cartridge contains a pair of electrodes and propellant for a single shot and is replaced after each use.
There are a number of cartridges designated by range, with the maximum at 35 feet (10.6 m). Cartridges available to non-law enforcement consumers are limited to 15 feet (4.5 m). The electrodes are pointed to penetrate clothing and barbed to prevent removal once in place. Earlier Taser models had difficulty in penetrating thick clothing, but newer versions (X26, C2) use a "shaped pulse" that increases effectiveness in the presence of barriers.
Tasers primarily function by creating neuromuscular incapacitation, which means that it interrupts the ability of the brain to control the muscles in the body. This creates an immediate and unavoidable incapacitation that is not based on pain and cannot be overcome.
Many subjects of police intervention experience little to no pain due to intoxication, extreme motivation, or otherwise, which therefore makes other techniques nearly useless. Once the electricity stops flowing the subject immediately regains control of their body.
Most subjects after being Tasered once will comply so as to avoid being Tasered a second time.
The use of tasers in law enforcement within Australia
Australian Federal Police - used only by officers attached to the Specialist Response and Security Team.
New South Wales - Used by general duties (patrol), supervisors/duty officers and specialist officers attached to the Tactical Operations Unit and Public Order and Riot Squad.
Northern Territory - Used by both general duties (patrol) and the Territory Response Group.
Queensland - Used by both general duties (patrol) and Special Emergency Response Team.
South Australia - Used only by the Special Tasks and Rescue Group with a general roll out to other police being trialled.
Tasmania - Used only by the Special Operations Group
Victoria - Used only by the Critical Incident Response Team and Special Operations Group.
Western Australia - Used by both general duties (patrol) and the Tactical Response Group

Internet information
The full text of an Amnesty International report titled, 'Amnesty International's 2004 Report on TASER Gun Abuse', can be found at http://educate-yourself.org/pnt/amnestyintnl2004TASERfullreport.shtml

In 2008 the Queensland Police Service published a 'Review of the Queensland Police Service Taser Trial'. This is a detailed report on the police service's six month trial of tasers. It is highly detailed and considers both the potential advantages and disadvantages of the weapon. It overwhelmingly concludes that the advantages of the weapon outweigh its disadvantages.
The full text of the review can be found at http://www.police.qld.gov.au/Resources/Internet/news%20and%20alerts/campaigns/taser/documents/ReviewoftheQPSTasertrial.pdf

On 6 December, 2008, Amnesty International's Internet site published a news report titled, 'Tasers - potentially lethal and easy to abuse'. The article includes information on an Amnesty International report titled, 'USA: less than lethal'. The full text of the article can be found at http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/tasers-potentially-lethal-and-easy-abuse-20081216

On December 21, 2008, Civil Liberties Australia published a report by David Curry titled, 'Stun guns will kill Australians, CLA says'. The full text of this report can be found at http://www.cla.asn.au/0805/index.php/articles/2008/stun-guns-will-kill-australians-cla-says

In June, 2009, The Green Left published an article titled, 'lethal weapons: ban tasers now' which was a report written by Stu Harrison which told of the death of a man tasered by Queensland Police and called for the weapons to be banned.
The full text of this article can be found at http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/41876

In August, 2009, The Federation of Community Legal Centres (Victoria) published a 'fact sheet' titled, 'Alternatives to Lethal Force: Tasers are not the answer'. The full te xt of the fact sheet can be found at http://www.communitylaw.org.au/cb_pages/images/Tasers%20and%20Police%20Fact%20Sheet%20August%202009.pdf

On 25 February, 2010, ABC News ran a report titled 'Victoria Police to trial taser guns'. The report indicated that taser guns would be trialled from July in Bendigo and Morwell. The full text of the report can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/25/2830236.htm

The Queensland Police Service Internet site has a section devoted to answering frequently asked questions about tasers. The purpose of this section of the site appears to be to inform and reassure the public. These questions and answers can be found at http://www.police.qld.gov.au/News+and+Alerts/campaigns/taser/FAQS.htm

The Queensland Police Service Internet site also has a section detailing how the the tasers will be rolled out and the measures that will be taken to ensure public safety. The full text of this statement can be found at http://www.police.qld.gov.au/News+and+Alerts/campaigns/taser/Engagement+Strategy.htm

Arguments in favour of the general issue of taser guns to Australian police
1. Taser guns give police a safer option than standard firearms
It has been claimed that taser guns represent a safer option for both police, the public and those the police might need to subdue.
Tasers provide a safety benefit to police officers as they have a greater deployment range than batons, pepper spray or empty hand techniques. This allows police to maintain a safe distance.
A study of use-of-force incidents by the Calgary Police Service conducted by the Canadian Police Research Centre found that the use of Tasers resulted in fewer injuries than the use of batons or empty hand techniques.
It has also been claimed that tasers are safer for the general public and those the police wish to apprehend This is because if the use of force is necessary tasers are believed to be a less potentially fatal option than firearms.
The Queensland Police have stated,

'Any use of force option carries with it risks, however tasers have proven themselves to be a relatively safe option in a range of situations, especially considering that they often replace the use of firearms.
The Queensland Coroner has commented on the potential for tasers to reduce the number of shootings involving police.
The Crime and Misconduct Commission's (CMC's) recent research document into taser use states that "field use statistics indicate that the majority of people exposed to tasers sustain no serious injuries". The document further notes that evaluations in the UK, New Zealand and the ACT found no serious injuries were sustained by officers or suspects.

South Australian Opposition Leader, Isobel Redmond, has stated that the South Australian Police Association has considered the taser guns a safer option,

'for both the police and potentially anyone that is being zapped with one ... than using a gun since 2007.'
'Yes, there are risks and clearly we need to make sure the officers are trained with them, but the fact is that if you get shot with a gun, even if it is in a non-fatal part, you're going to have a significant wound that's going to take some time to heal. What we're trying to do is to protect our police and protect the public by using technology that is used in all sorts of places around the world.'

2. Police receive training in the use of taser guns
All Australian jurisdictions where tasers are or will soon be made available to police officers have indicated that their use will be conditional on suitable training. The Queensland Police have stated, 'Tasers will be available for operational use by officers who have successfully completed the approved training course. By 2011, all operational officers will be trained in the use of tasers.
Each region has identified training and rollout priorities, based on a risk analysis including the numbers of assaults on police.
Officers will not have access to tasers until they have undertaken a comprehensive training package, and their station has been fitted with appropriate storage devices for the weapons.
In November, 2009, New South Wales Police revealed the training their officers would undertake in order to ensure they would use tasers appropriately.
TASER gun operation courses began for police officers in Tamworth yesterday - part of a roll-out of 2000 of the immobilising guns to stations across the state. Officers from commands across the state received a one-day course to qualify them to handle the defensive device.
Officers were required to do a written exam, practical Taser training and mock scenarios as part of the course.
Taser trainer, Sergeant Mick Moy, said, 'The one-day training courses are under way throughout the state. They cover the technical aspects of the Taser and the protocols for use. It also covers the duty of care we have to the person who is subjected to the Taser. They've been practising using them and scenarios which they would use them in.'
After tasers were trialled in Queensland, the officers who had taken part in the trial were asked to comment on the adequacy of the training they had received. Nearly all officers 'agreed' or 'completely agreed' that the information they received in training about how the Taser works, its usage modes, its affect on people and factors that might complicate the use of the Taser such as positional asphyxia or excited delirium was sufficient. Similarly, almost all officers 'agreed' or 'completely agreed' that the Taser training had provided them with sufficient skills to use the Taser in an operational environment.

3. Taser guns have been trialled in all Australian jurisdictions prior to their introduction
Every Australian jurisdiction which has introduced tasers for the use of its police force has first trialled the weapon. The Queensland Police Force issued a report on its six month trial in 2008. The report detailed who had been involved in supervising and evaluating the trial.
The report of the Queensland trial included the following,

'The review of the trial of Tasers which concluded on 30 June 2008 has provided an important opportunity to examine the use of Tasers by police officers in Queensland to guide policy and practice within the operational environment. In particular the lessons learnt have helped prepare for the rollout of Tasers to all police officers.
On 29 January, 2008, the Former Police Minister, the Honourable Judy Spence MP, announced the rollout of Tasers to all operational police across Queensland. The trial period continued until 30 June 2008 and staged rollout commenced on 1 January 2009.
The review of this trial has been undertaken in consultation with the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC). A Taser Trial Evaluation Steering Committee was established with representatives from the Queensland Police Service (QPS) and the CMC (including the Director,
Research and Prevention (R&P) and a Senior Research Officer). The Steering Committee developed a review plan and associated review methodology which put forward a number of key questions for the review and established a range of data collection strategies.
As part of the review process the CMC undertook a literature review that summarised the benefits and risks reported to be associated with Tasers, and identified the key issues that needed to be considered by the QPS in the development of policy, procedures and training. This review of the research literature was also published by the CMC as a Research and Issues Paper.
The CMC also assisted the review team by undertaking the analysis of Taser dataport downloads - the electronic record of each time a Taser is activated - that is provided in the risk management section of this report. Taser usage forms were completed for every deployment of a Taser and these were electronically forwarded to members of the review team, including the research officer at the CMC. This allowed the CMC to have the opportunity to be fully appraised of all incidents as they were reported.'

4. There are strict accountability measures in place covering the use of taser guns
In all Australian jurisdictions where tasers are used there are strict accountability measures in place. The following outlines the procedures in place in Queensland; however, they are typical of those set up in other states.
The Queensland Police policy re the use of tasers states that tasers are not to be used where there is risk of a secondary injury, such as someone falling from a height; on people who are passively resisting; as a crowd control measure; for punitive or coercive reasons or to rouse unconscious or intoxicated people.
The policy also states tasers should not be used on the elderly, juveniles or women suspected of being pregnant except in extreme circumstances where there is no other reasonable option to avoid risk of injury.
The Queensland Police Service has set up several layers of accountability in relation to taser use:
Every time a taser is pointed at someone or activated, the officer involved has to complete a taser usage form and prepare a "Significant Event Message", which goes to the Senior Executive and Ethical Standards Command.
Additionally, officers have to fill out the register and sign tasers in and out of the station, so they are locatable at all times.
The weapon has software which records each activation of the taser (date/time/length) which can be compared against the registers and usage/significant event forms.
Each cartridge also has individual serial numbers for comparison against deployments.
Every time a taser is used, the circumstances around the use are examined by a review committee, and overseen by the Ethical Standards Command. If there are concerns about the taser use, there are a range of steps which may be taken internally to address any issue raised. These may include: additional training for the officer involved; managerial guidance and disciplinary action.
There is also an external oversight mechanism through the Crime and Misconduct Commission. In cases where it is deemed the taser was used in an inappropriate manner, there is also recourse to the criminal justice system.

5. Taser guns can gain compliance from difficult, physically powerful or drug-effected people who otherwise might be very hard to subdue.
Using a taser gun in probe mode allows a police officer to temporarily incapacity a dangerous person who could not otherwise be subdued except by lethal force. Tasers primarily function by creating neuromuscular incapacitation, which means that they interrupt the ability of the brain to control the muscles in the body. This creates an immediate and unavoidable incapacitation that is not based on pain and cannot be overcome.
Many subjects of police intervention experience little to no pain due to intoxication, extreme motivation, or otherwise, which therefore makes other techniques nearly useless. This means that an individual who is impervious to pain or demonstrating 'superhuman' strength because of factors such as mental illness or intoxication, should be able to be incapacitated by a Taser for the purpose of being restrained.

Arguments against the general issue of taser guns to Australian police
1. Taser guns are a dangerous, potentially lethal, weapon
Amnesty International has documented over 245 deaths that occurred after the use of Tasers.
Angela Wright, a United States researcher for Amnesty International has stated,

'Tasers are not the "non-lethal" weapons they are portrayed to be. They can kill and should only be used as a last resort.'
Amnesty International Canada and other civil liberties organizations have argued that a moratorium should be placed on Taser use until research can determine a way for them to be safely used.
A number of studies have investigated the potential dangers of Taser use. They have included examination of incident records, limited human testing, and experimental studies on pigs. Although tests on police and military volunteers have shown Tasers to function appropriately on a healthy, calm individual in a relaxed and controlled environment, Amnesty International says that they 'do not take into account real life use of Tasers by law enforcement agencies, such as repeated or prolonged shocks and the use of restraints'.

Tasers have been scrutinised in Canada after national media coverage of the death in 2007 of Robert Dzieka?ski, a Polish immigrant, after being tasered five times by a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer at the Vancouver International Airport. As a result several official reviews of Taser safety are underway in Canada and two police forces have put large orders of the device on hold.
Recent independently-funded animal studies have found that the use of these kinds of electro-shock weapons can cause fatal arrhythmias in pigs, raising further questions about their safety on human subjects. It was also recently reported that nearly ten per cent of 41 Tasers tested in a study commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, delivered significantly more current than the manufacturer said was possible, underscoring the need for independent verification and testing of such devices.
There have also been deaths associated with tasers in Australia. On November 18, 2009, a New South Wales man, armed with a knife and threatening self-harm, died after having been shot with a taser gun by a New South Wales female police officer. Prior to this, in June 2009, a 29-year-old man died after being shot with a taser gun by a member of the Queensland police force. There have been two earlier deaths in Australia resulting from taser use.

2. Taser guns are used inappropriately
Angela Wright, a United States researcher for Amnesty International has stated,'The problem with Tasers is that they are inherently open to abuse, as they are easy to carry and easy to use and can inflict severe pain at the push of a button, without leaving substantial marks.'
Thus Amnesty International has claimed that they have on occasion been used as a form of torture to force compliance from people.
In March 2008, an 11-year-old girl with a learning disability was shocked with a Taser after she punched a police officer in the face. The officer had been called to the school in Orange County, Florida, after the child had become disturbed, pushing desks and chairs and spitting at staff.
It has further been claimed that tasers have been used on individuals who constituted no danger to law enforcement officers and that such use has resulted in deaths.
An Amnesty International's study - which includes information from 98 autopsies - found that 90 per cent of those who died after being struck with a Taser were unarmed and many did not appear to present a serious threat.
Many were subjected to repeated or prolonged shocks - far more than the five-second 'standard' cycle - or by more than one officer at a time. Some people were even shocked for failing to comply with police commands after they had been incapacitated by a first shock.
New South Wales Civil Liberties Council president, Cameron Murphy, has stated, 'We have had people who have been seriously injured, we have had people who have died from the use of these weapons and they simply haven't been used appropriately given the circumstances.'
On July 2, 2009, a report into Queensland Police's 12-month trial of Tasers identified 'Taser creep' and over-reliance as key risks associated with the controversial weapons.
'Taser creep', as defined in the report, is the risk that, over time, the devices 'begin to be used in situations beyond their intended use'. Queensland Police Commissioner, Bob Atkinson, has said he was concerned about officers' tendency to rely on the Taser as a 'weapon of choice' rather than properly considering the alternatives.
In Australia there are a number of prominent incidents that have come to the public's attention which appear to be a clear misuse of tasers.
In Brisbane on 11 August 2007, Nathan Cook was reportedly tased three times while he was
handcuffed. In Brisbane on 11 April 2008, a 16 year old girl defied a move-on order and was sitting
down in a garden bed waiting for an ambulance to treat her sick friend. She was then reportedly held down by two security guards while an officer shot her in the thigh with a taser and arrested her. In Sydney on Sunday 29 March 2009 reportedly a 38-year-old man was tased twice by a police officer on Oxford Street, when it appears from a closed-circuit video camera that he was complying with instructions from the officer to get off the road and onto the footpath.

3. Taser gun use training is inadequate
It has been claimed that police are given inadequate training in the use of tasers. The Queensland Police are required successfully to complete an online exam about policy, procedures and technical aspects relating to the taser before undertaking a one-day workshop. The one-day workshop represents eight hours training which critics claim is completely inadequate when dealing with a weapon that can cause death and which police officers both in Australia and overseas appear to use inappropriately and increasingly.
Mr Tery O'Gorman, president of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties and a lawyer, has claimed that training in taser has been exposed as deficient.
Mr O'Gorman has stated, 'The increasing misuse of tasers show the training and auditing is insufficient. I don't think that amount of training is adequate - the whole rollout, including the Crime and Misconduct Commission expressing dissatisfaction with the way it was rolled out indicate it has been bungled from the beginning.'

4. Taser gun use tends to displace other more proactive, less dangerous procedures
A twelve-month trial of tasers by the Queensland Police Force has suggested that increasing use of tasers occurred and that their use sometimes displaced other, less violent means of dealing with distressed and/or potentially dangerous people.
Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said he was concerned about officers' tendency to rely on the Taser as a 'weapon of choice' rather than properly considering the alternatives. Police Commissioner Atkinson has further stated, 'Rather than use verbal communication skills or handcuffs or some minor physical engagement they might use a Taser so police come to rely on it more than they need too, over time.'
The Victorian Office of Police Integrity's 'Review of the fatal shootings by Victoria Police' recommended that Victoria Police can and should seek to avoid and minimise use of force by applying their own ten Operational Safety Principles, currently included in the Victoria
Police Manual.
The findings of this review include a reemphasis on training in tactical communication skills rather than equipment and a focus on making sure police have the crucial skills to identify and take appropriate action when someone may have a mental health problem.
It has further been claimed that police are the only mobile 24 hour crisis intervention service and that they are demanded to act in ways far beyond their training and skills in dealing with people in mental health crises. Not only must police be adequately trained but they must also have appropriate support in order to deal with these complex crisis situations, by acting in tandem with mental health
professionals and not with tasers.

5. Tasers are not a suitable weapon in many circumstances
It has been claimed that the effectiveness of taser guns for defusing hazardous situations is actually quite limited, especially as they generally have to be used at close quarters.
Victoria's Chief Commissioner, Simon Overland, told the Melbourne Press Club, 'You've actually got to be quite close to someone before it (a Taser) can work. If you've got a homicidal maniac with an axe running at you and you're relying on this thing and it doesn't work, you're dead.'
It has also been claimed that Tasers are not a suitable weapon to use against people with a variety of pre-existing medical conditions.
There is an emerging body of evidence that people with existing heart conditions, people who are drug and alcohol affected, the young and the elderly, pregnant women, the mentally ill and others are at significantly greater risk of serious injury or death from Taser. It has been suggested that given that it can be difficult to determine if someone has a heart condition or is drug- or alcohol-effected tasers are not a suitable weapon to be in general use.
Despite this tasers are disproportionately used against people with mental health problems. During taser trials in New Zealand, tasers were used in fifty percent of mental health call-outs, according to an analysis by the New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists has urged wider consultation with the mental health sector before the introduction of tasers.
New Zealand Mental Health Foundation chief executive, Judi Clements, told the New Zealand Herald in August 2008, 'The risks posed to people taking prescribed medication for mental illness are unknown, as are the long-term effects of Taser use. The use of Tasers in mental health emergencies needs to be fully investigated before this weapon is sanctioned for use on the general public.'

Further implications
Tasers do not represent a solution to the problem of police using lethal force. They appear to be a less lethal alternative to firearms; however, the growing number of deaths associated with their use both in Australia and overseas demonstrates that they are not without risk.
There are a number of features of taser gun use which are causes for concern. Firstly, the perception that they are a relatively safe alternative appears to have led to their being over-used. The phrase used overseas to describe this phenomenon is 'taser-creep'.
Secondly and relatedly, critics of the introduction of tasers have argued that they have led to a concentration on physical solutions to the problem of dealing with drug-effected or mentally disturbed people. There is concern that police may now be less inclined to use containment strategies as opposed to interventionist strategies to deal with such non-compliant people.
Thirdly, there is concern that one of the key groups likely to be tasered, the drug-effected and the mentally ill, are also groups upon which these weapons are likely to be less effective or to whom they are likely to cause the most harm.
This would seem to leave the taser in a similar position to capsicum spray and firearms - they are an option, they are a partial solution but they are not an automatic or easy answer.
It is obvious that there is no absolute solution for many of the situations that police are called on to deal with. However, a continued reliance on force, in whatever form that might take, has clear limitations. The Office of Police Integrity in Victoria has noted that 'people with a mental disorder are clearly overrepresented in critical incidents that result in fatal police shootings,' with 17 of the 32 people fatally shot by Victoria Police between 1 January 1990 and April 2005 considered
to have a mental disorder at the time of the shooting. This unfortunately large number of mentally disturbed people who have died at police hands over the last decade suggests we need to continue to look for other alternatives to force.

Newspaper items used in the compilation of this issue outline
The Australian: September 7, page 7, news item, `Despite the risks, Tasers win approval'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/despite-the-risks-tasers-win-approval/story-e6frg6o6-1225770025000

The Australian: September 5, page 7, news item by Michael McKenna, `Fatality forces a Taser rethink'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/fatality-forces-taser-rethink/story-e6frg6oo-1225769697927

The Australian: September 4, page 5, news item by Michael McKenna, `Tasers face ban after findings they can kill'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/tasers-face-ban-after-findings-they-can-kill/story-e6frg6nf-1225769330541

The Age: October 2, page 3, news item by Kate Hagan, `State to pay $40,000 for capsicum spray damage'.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/state-to-pay-40000-for-capsicum-spray-damage-20091001-geow.html

The Australian: October 13, page 6, news item by Natasha Bita, `Warning on Taser chest shots'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/warning-on-taser-chest-shots/story-e6frg6oo-1225786087312

The Australian: October 22, page 2, news item by Michael Owen, `Zap me with a Taser, pleads politician'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/zap-me-with-a-taser-pleads-politician/story-e6frg6p6-1225789767753

The Age: October 16, page 8, news item (photo - ref to death of Tyler Cassidy) by Farah Farouque, `Police evidence on youth's shooting put to test'.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/police-evidence-on-youths-shooting-put-to-test-20091015-gz76.html

The Australian: October 24, page 7, news item (ref to Biggs shooting) by L Wilson, `Fatal shot blamed on "bravado"'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/police-bravado-blamed-in-death/story-e6frg6of-1225790739708

The Age: October 24, page 3, news item (ref to shooting death in Melbourne of sword-wielding Gregory Biggs) by Adrian Lowe, `Officer liable for charges after shooting'.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/officer-liable-for-charges-after-shooting-20091023-hdfd.html

The Herald-Sun: October 30, page 3, news item (ref to death of Gregory Biggs) by M Buttler, `Chief backs cop over shooting'.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/police-chief-simon-overland-backs-cop-over-shooting-of-man-armed-with-samurai-swords/story-e6frf7jo-1225792600478

The Australian: December 23, page 3, news item by Stuart Rintoul, `Death raises doubts over capsicum spray'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/death-raises-doubt-over-capsicum-spray/story-e6frg6nf-1225812933978

The Australian: February 26, page 7, news item by Stuart Rintoul, `Country police get a trial of stun guns'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/victorian-country-police-get-trial-of-stun-guns/story-e6frg6nf-1225834507884

The Age: February 26, page 3, news item by K Hagan, `Police chief changes mind over who will use Tasers'. (video in online version)
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/police-chief-changes-mind-on-tasers-20100225-p5zo.html