Window into the Sheriff’s Office

Friday, June 05, 2009

By Walker Hobson

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-The Sheriff’s Office wants you to see the inside of its jails, but you might want to attend its open house to witness the expression on Capt. Tripp Wilson’s face when he takes 50,000 volts of electricity.

That’s right, Capt. Wilson will take a taser to the chest, which does not administer the more harmful ampere electric current, to disprove allegations about the “less-lethal” weapon.

The open house is Teton County Sheriff Jim Whalen’s attempt to educate the community about his office and to increase transparency.

He will cook burgers and hot dogs, he said, and the rest of the office will be showing off facilities and equipment. The Sheriff/Police SWAT team and the bomb squad will be on hand, the latter showing off a newly acquired bomb disposal robot.
Sergeant Andy Pearson said the robot, bought with funds from the Department of Homeland Security, allows law enforcement to approach and diffuse bombs without risking human life. Of the same design and function that U.S. forces overseas use to deal with explosives, the robot allows bomb technicians to remotely view, manipulate and disrupt a device.

The featured ac

t of the evening has got to be the tasing of Capt. Wilson. Detractors of the device say that it causes targets to urinate and defecate, uncontrollably, Sheriff Whalen said. Opponents also say some victims of a tase even die. Capt. Wilson wants to demonstrate that these allegations are not true.

He stressed that taser-side effects do not include the uncontrollable release of fluids, and that only poor training has resulted in taser-related deaths.
The Sheriff’s office will also show off another crowd-control device, known as a bean-bag shotgun. The gun will not be fired at the barbecue, but demonstrators will show visitors the ammunition as well as the gun itself.

Visitors won’t be able to see the inmate housing facility, but they will be able to go through the booking and dispatch control rooms.

The barbeque will probably be the only good time, and best food, you will have at the jail. And we can’t confirm this, but if you go and make friends with law enforcement, it might help you next time the red-and-blues light up your rearview mirror. JHW

The open house Barbeque is at noon to 2 p.m., Saturday, at the Teton County Sheriff’s Office; free.

TETON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPT.
Whalen and deputies, the law in Teton County.

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Window into the Sheriff’s Office | Planet JH News Article: General News

Reader Comments
There are a lot of good cops in the world God bless them all Ange
Will the sheriff be Tasered using the metal fish-hook probes, which plunge 1 to 2 inches below the skin? Will the Taser trigger administer a full 5 to 30 second shock, as the police do on a regular basis on the streets? If the wires are "taped" in place, the "demonstration" is BOGUS. If the shock lasts less than 5 seconds, it's double BOGUS. Multiple Taser shocks will KILL a person, especially if the probes are under the skin and across the area of the chest where the heart resides. Please have someone with a defibrillator standing by, if this "demonstration" is akin to how Tasers are used in the Real World. You may very well have a dead sheriff on your hands. Even the manufacturer of these stun guns does NOT want law enforcement "demonstrating" their product using the metal probes, aimed at the heart with a full 5 to 30 second shock. Hundreds of folks have died on the streets when these stun guns are applied multiple times, with the fish-hook probes near the heart. Good luck to the sheriff. I doubt he will take a REAL WORLD Taser Ride. He'll tape the wires to his chest, take a BOGUS ride and declare himself a hero. Daniel Pitt
1 to 2 inches?! The probes are only 1 1/2" long total. The part the penetrates the skin is only half of that. Hundreds of deaths?! How much pot are you smoking, Daniel? There have been very few cases in which a Taser was named the CAUSE of death. Those are still disputed by experts. Most of the folks that died after a Taser was administered were going to die irregardless due to drug overdoses and or massive overexertion due to fighting, or other turbulent behavior. It's called excited delirium. How many lives have been saved by Tasers? How many serious injuries prevented? Of course these cases don't get the attention of the media or left wing wackos like Daniel. Ohbrother
Daniel Pitt sounds like that cult website owner excited delirium that keeps posting incorrect and false information. Then again most anti taser experts findings have been found in huge error. Take the CBC study that said tasers were more powerful. Every test keeps coming up LESS POWERFUL. More smoke and mirrors from Daniel and the cult Ange
This is a bullshit article that sides with the cops. BottomLine
Mr. Pitt, Just to clarify a few things. The probes only slightly pentrate the skin. The primary target area for a Taser is the back. A probe is as one would expect very sharp and no one wants to take a chance of putting someones eye out. The full ride is 30 seconds. I have been shot with a Taser a number of times, all in Taser classes and as for a real world Taser ride, just what would that be? The real hero's of this country are over seas defending this country and died on the beaches of France 65 years ago today so you could have the freedom to express your opinion as you have done here. Tripp Wilson
Most people who die after being Tased were under the influence of street drugs, usually Cocaine. There have been several cases throughout the Country where persons have died after being Tased. Most often, the autopsy was inconclusive. (That means, Mr. Pitt, the Medical Examiner was unable to come to a definite cause of death). These cases make for interesting news stories, but provide few answers as to the actual cause of death. The public is then left with the impression the Taser alone caused the death. Anti-law enforcement types, like Mr. Pitt, take this limited information (jumping up and down) and blame the cause of death on the Taser when in fact the cause is usually the reason the person was Tased in the first place; Cocaine, PCP, and other street drugs. Here in the "Real World" I have deployed the Taser on several suspects. I have also been present under a myriad of circumstances when the Taser was deployed. I have never seen the Taser probes penetrate a suspect's skin 1 to 2 inches, nor have I seen a suspect lose control of his/her bodily function(s)as a result of being Tased. In every case, the suspect was examined by medical personnel and the probes removed; with little or no injury to the suspect. I'm not sure where Mr. Pitt gets his information, but I have a good idea. 612
Kent Spence's attempted hijacking of Saturday's TCSO gathering was shameful. He owes everyone who attended a profound public apology, especially Sheriff Jim Whalen. Anonyholic II
Even if Tasers are not the primary cause of death, it's nonetheless documented that hundreds of people have died after being tasered. It's likely that many if not most were high on drugs or flushed with adrenaline from fear. But to say they would have died anyway is ridiculous. Tasers were supposed to be an alternative to lethal force, but have become a compliance weapon. I'm not saying they're not useful in certain circumstances, just that they're overused, and can be dangerous. To say they are safe is erroneous. little saganaga
There are always going to be the extremists on every topic, but for all you taser happy people you may want to read this article http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/11/man-dies-after/ about a man NOT ON DRUGS waiting for his mother in a country where he does not speak the language. There are many articles on this particular horrifyingly sad incident. Not surprising that most of the research presenting "tasering" in a positive light is actually funded by the Taser companies themselves. Unfortunately when tasering is used in the "real world" it is not always properly administered which can cause defecation or possible death. Maybe if every police person was extensively trained there may not be incidents such as the article I posted. It's the similar concept that "guns" don't kill people, "people" kill people (with man-made weapons). Not a fan
Maybe we can just use spitballs with criminals. That should do just nicely for some of the liberal brethren out there. Could you people please stop the nonsense. I'm sure somewhere, there has been an abuse of a taser by someone. Just like someone's always abusing guns, booze, drugs, etc. People screamed about the police using guns in dangerous situations. Now they use tasers to appease the liberals out there. But for some, that's not good enough. Maybe you would prefer our police be like the cops in England and simply carry a billy stick. I witnessed a situation in Myrtle Beach, SC just this past July. A policeman using a taser saved the lives of several people right on the Grand Strand. God bless this officer and his heroism. I also thank God he had the taser, because otherwise, the person that got tased should have been shot to stop him from harming others. The taser allowed the officer to subdue him without costing the punk his life. Our police are under paid as it is, and asked to do a job most of you wouldn't dare do. Now you want them to stop using tasers? Get a grip people. There are evil people in the world and I've witnessed it first hand. Tase on I say:) Dale Snu

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Window into the Sheriff’s Office

Friday, June 05, 2009

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