Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 11/02) - The Yellowknife and Hay River RCMP detachments introduced a new weapon this weekend to assist in controlling potentially dangerous situations.

The M26 Advanced Taser, modeled to resemble a hand gun, is anticipated to allow police to gain control of suspects without inflicting physical force.

With 50,000 volts of electricity and 26 watts of power, the Taser was designed specifically for use by law enforcement agencies.

"The RCMP understand the importance of having a less lethal tool on our belt," said Sgt. John Milner.

The Taser can be used either in a touch mode, by zapping the subject directly, or in the probe mode, in which two darts are fired from the gun and can reach up to 21 feet.

The darts are equipped with tiny fish hooks that stick right into the skin, shocking the subject for a maximum of five seconds at a time and incapacitating them.

"Basically it's electro-muscular disruption that contracts the muscles so you can't function your muscles and there is also pain compliance as well," said Milner.

The RCMP assure the Taser does not pose any serious health threats to subjects, but does leave a second-degree burn that will disappear within a few days.

Staff Sgt. Tom Raine volunteered to take a Taser shot in the back to demonstrate how the weapon works.

Raine's muscles contracted, his face contorted, his knees buckled and he dropped to the floor as the darts punctured his back. An odour resembling burnt hair wafted throughout the room.

"Yeow! How was it? Painful," said Raine as he was assisted to his feet by two officers in uniform.

"You could feel pulses and there's no ability to do anything. You involuntarily drop to the floor," he said.

Officers at the Yellowknife and Hay River detachments and the emergency response team at the Yellowknife Fire Department have already been trained to use the Taser.

Milner said it's hoped all detachments across the NWT will be equipped with one Taser over the next few months.