Axon CEO Rick Smith is known for thinking and speaking about the next generation of technology. Now he is predicting that less-lethal weapons can almost eliminate fatal officer-involved shootings by 2030.
Can less-lethal weapons advance to the point that police can use them instead of deadly force? Axon's Rick Smith believes they can.
Axon has announced that the United States Forest Service (USFS) will outfit officers and agents across its law enforcement and investigative agency with Axon Body 2 cameras backed by the digital evidence management system, Axon Evidence (Evidence.com). The USFS has been a TASER Conducted Energy Weapon customer since 2008 and began an agencywide deployment of TASER X26Ps in 2018.
Axon announced that the Atlanta and Baltimore City Police Departments, both Major Cities Chiefs Association members, will deploy Axon's new TASER 7 weapons and Axon Body 3 cameras as part of Axon's new Officer Safety Plan 7+ (OSP 7+). Orange County (FL) Sheriff's Office will also deploy TASER 7 weapons on OSP 7+.
Earlier this week I attended the Axon Accelerate Conference in downtown Phoenix. The official theme was "Run In"—in recognition of the fact that police officers run toward danger while everyone else runs away. But there was another underlying theme, "Total Wellness" for law enforcement.
LAPD Captain Greg Meyer (ret.) discusses some of the mistakes that officers make when attempting to deploy a TASER, and how tactics and training can help fix those mistakes.
Officers with the Smyrna (GA) Police Department were engaged in a violent struggle with a dangerous subject when the man gained control of one of the officer's TASER and deployed it on one of the officers.
The suspect reportedly grabbed the Taser off the officer's belt when both men fell during a struggle. He then drive stunned the officer in the face, according to reports.
The TASER 7 features dramatically improved effectiveness, including adaptive cross connect and improved spiral probe design, and is fully integrated with Evidence.com, Axon's digital data management solution, Axon says. The Axon Body 3 features real-time situational awareness with live streaming, gunshot detection and rapid wireless evidence offload.
An officer with the Smithville (OH) Police Department has been placed on unpaid leave after reportedly "arcing" her TASER to wake a sleeping student.