Why not just use a Taser?

When an officer-involved shooting occurs, there almost always is a question raised by the public: "Why didn't they just use a Taser?"

But Mike Stradley, the skills and tactics training manager at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, said the answer is simple: Tasers statistically fail 30 percent of the time.

According to a 2016 article in the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Police Department reported Tasers only had the desired outcome — causing someone to submit to arrest — 53 percent of the time.

Taser prongs must make contact with skin in order to be effective. When two prongs shoot out of a Taser, both prongs must make contact, which means aim is extremely important.

Stradley said in his own personal experience, Tasers failed about 50 percent of the time.

Scott Willadsen, the use of force coordinator for DPSST police academy, said baggy clothing and belt buckles can significantly impact Taser effectiveness.

"Are you willing to bet your life on a 30 percent chance it fails?" Stradley asked.