Study: 'Taser poses small chance of serious injury to suspect'

The use of a stun gun by the police gives "a low chance of serious injury" to the person being 'tasered'. Occasionally serious injuries occur, such as broken bones or head injuries.

This is evident from research by the Nivel research institute and the forensic medicine research group of GGD Amsterdam, which will be presented to outgoing minister David van Weel (Justice and Security, VVD) on Thursday. "It is still a weapon and that involves risks," says Nivel researcher Michel Dückers. "People who are tasered lose control of their muscle mass and fall. Then you can end up badly, for example on a curb." It is the first practical study worldwide into the medical effects of the use of the electroshock weapon, which has been used nationwide by the police since 2022.

The taser is used almost a thousand times a year, and in addition it is threatened another two to three thousand times. This means that it has become "not an exceptional means of violence, but a regular part of law enforcement", the researchers state in the report. Marjolein Smit, national coordinator of violence at the police, says that the stun gun "adds a lot, also because of its de-escalating effect. "Threatening with it is already intimidating."

The taser was mainly used in urban areas in the west of the country in the period 2022-2024. This happened to people who behaved dangerously or aggressively, or who used weapons. In almost half of the cases, the stun gun was combined with, for example, pepper spray.

The police stun gun, the Taser X2, has two modes: firing mode and shock mode. In firing mode, the gun fires two darts, which remain connected to the gun by a wire. The darts remain stuck in the skin or clothing and deliver a number of short electric shocks per second. In shock mode, the stun gun is placed directly on the skin of a person, who receives a short pain stimulus.

Former Minister Ferd Grapperhaus (Justice and Security, CDA) decided at the end of 2019 that the police would be allowed to use tasers. At the time, he said that the weapon could be used in situations where pepper spray is not sufficient, but a firearm goes too far. The decision was not without controversy. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International warned of serious medical risks; National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen said that the police had to be "very aware" of the impact of the taser.

At Grapperhaus' request, the chief of police therefore commissioned Nivel and GGD Amsterdam to independently monitor the effects for three years. In almost all regions of the country, people who had been 'tasered' were examined by forensic doctors. Hospitals, the National Criminal Investigation Department, the Netherlands Forensic Institute and The Maastricht Forensic Institute also provided information.

The study now shows that the use of the taser rarely leads to injuries that require hospital treatment. Forensic doctors found that 94 percent of the 'tasers' had no or minor injuries, such as abrasions or minor bruises. Six percent did have serious injuries and still had to go to hospital.

Sometimes arrows had to be removed that had become stuck or had ended up in delicate areas such as the genitals or the face

Of the group of Taser victims who went straight to the hospital – and therefore did not first visit the forensic doctor – two-thirds suffered broken bones, broken jaws or minor head injuries. Sometimes darts had to be removed that had remained stuck or had ended up in delicate areas such as the genitals or the face. According to the study, six people died during an arrest in which a Taser was also used. In five of these cases, the Taser played no role in the death, in one it “may have played a minor role, because the administration of electric shocks may have contributed to an increase in heart rate and/or blood pressure.”

The researchers also found that people between the ages of 18 and 25 have an increased risk of injury, for example because they are more likely to physically resist arrest or try to flee. People who display confused behavior or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol are also more likely to be injured.

The researchers also note that there is limited insight into the psychological impact and long-term consequences of the use of the electric shock weapon. This certainly applies to vulnerable people who were immediately taken to a mental health institution or were already staying there. The study does state that the use of tasers "can be experienced as drastic. The lack of aftercare and information after the event also seems to increase feelings of fear, mistrust and lack of understanding." According to Nivel researcher Dückers, there is still room for improvement in the area of ​​information and aftercare: "Not everyone gets that, as is evident from conversations with 'tasers'."

Comparisons with the risks of other weapons used by the police are difficult; no research has been done on the medical consequences of, for example, batons or pepper spray. Marjolein Smit of the police points out that batons are "hard things" and pose a greater risk of injury. Pepper spray has the disadvantage for the police that it cannot be used indoors, not when there is a strong wind, and that a quarter of people are less sensitive to it.