Annual taser training
CRYSTAL FALLS -- This is a new experience for Iron County Sheriff's Deputy Adam Schiavo. He has volunteered to experience a taser shock, or as the deputies call it, "taking a ride".
"I feel that I should take a ride since I'm going to carry one and possibly deploy it someday," said Schiavo.
Iron County Sheriff’s deputies aren't required to experience a taser ride, however, the majority of them choose to so they know all sides of the weapon they may potentially use.
The sheriff's department has needed to use a taser only three times over the last two years, but it has proven to be effective and help keep deputies safe.
"The taser isn't a replacement for anything that we've been taught or any tool that we've used in the past. The taser is just an addition," said Sergeant Wade Cross, a taser instructor and member of the Iron County Sheriff’s Department. "It's just another option that we have available to us in the field."
Members of the sheriff's department must attend classes and pass a training test every year to use the weapon which requires more than just knowing how to fire it.
"Keeping abreast of the case law, the changes as things come down the line through the courts and making sure we are using it appropriately and as safely as we can," Cross said.
Experiencing the taser was a painful experience for Schiavo.
"Feeling how effective it was on me really makes me appreciate it a lot more," Schiavo explained.
He doesn't regret it.
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