On a recent traffic stop, Century Station deputies had observed what they believed was a hand-to-hand drug transaction between a man seated in the front passenger seat of a vehicle and another man standing next to him. The deputies exited their vehicle and contacted the two men. Upon contacting the passenger of the vehicle, the deputy saw the passenger was armed with a revolver and trying to exit his car. Believing the individual was preparing to shoot them, one of the deputies reached for his TASER and used it to stop the dangerous behavior.
In this incident, the deputy chose to use the TASER and quickly diffused a tense situation, which could have resulted in a deadly shooting. The individual was subsequently arrested and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. A TASER is a less-than-lethal device that fires two darts, each tethered by a thin wire, and delivers an electrical charge to the subject, resulting in temporary neuro muscular incapacitation.
This incident reflects the dangers deputies can face every day and the impact less-than-lethal tools have had in averting deadly consequences to dangerous situations. The actions of deputy personnel in this incident exemplified the Core Values of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, specifically “reverence for human life.”
