"Don't Tase Me Bro" Guy May Want to Avoid Huntley

Huntley police deal with all sorts of people on the beat, but lately some people have become more combative toward officers.

A recent incident involved a man with a knife who threatened an officer, Chief John Perkins said. The officer tackled the man to wrestle away the knife, he said.

The increase of combative people is the reason Huntley officers are asking Perkins to purchase new tool­s_ tasers.

Perkins is taking the request to the village board, which will discuss the matter during the budget process. He is suggesting the police department buy five to seven tasers at a total cost of $10,000.

A taser is effective 98 percent of the time, Perkins said. It protects not only officers but also combative subjects, many of whom often have mental illnesses or have been drinking or have been involved in domestic violence incidents.

Of the incidents in the last year, half of the people involved had serious mental health issues, Perkins said. Huntley police have also seen an increase in the number of domestic violence incidents in recent years.

"It seems like things are increasing and those issues are harder to deal with," the chief said. "I'm hoping the idea we have a taser would prevent anyone from doing anything."

While officers would like to see tasers available, Perkins said the general public might be somewhat skeptical about seeing officers carrying one.

"I think people will get use to it after a while," he said. "I don't think they will be used that often."

Tasers have been controversial in the past _ and the butt of jokes on television shows and movies _ but more and more police departments are purchasing the newest version.

"Law enforcement is always looking for ways to deal with individuals in these types of situations without having to go to the final step to utilize a firearm," said Laimutis Nargelenas, a lobbyist with the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and a retired Illinois State Trooper.

Nargelenas was on the state police for 30 years and recalls officers had two ways to deal with combative people: their fists or their gun, he said.

Later, troopers began carrying batons then tear gas, he said. As law enforcement has evolved, so have the tools available to officers, he said. Now, tasers offer a good way to deal with situations that can be dangerous to officers and the public, he said.

The Illinois Chiefs of Police Association recommends the use of tasers but also recommends police departments have policies in place that cover topics ranging from officer training to ensuring how and when tasers will be used, Nargelenas said.

Training involves a certification process with a certain number of hours required, he said. Tasers can be considered a deadly weapon so officers need to be properly trained.

The public can have a negative image of a taser but the association has seen a positive reaction, aside from those who are actually tasered, and the tool helps reduce the number of incidents, he said.

Perkin wants to give officers whatever tools they need to make the job safer. It's a much different job than when he started 35 years ago.

"When I started my career, violence toward police officers was no where near as it is now," Perkins said. "People would fight you but the level of threat to officers is greater than years ago."