Police officers tased

FORT WAYNE, Ind., (WANE) --- - Instead of bad guys, more than a dozen police officers were tased as part of taser training Tuesday morning at the Public Safety Academy.

It's an eight hour training with five very painful seconds.

Officer Edward Black describes the pain as "a very fast pace pulsing sensation going up my spine."

"It's an eternity, but once it's over, it's over," Officer Scott Morales told NewsChannel 15. "When I got hit, I tried to think about going down, but I couldn't. I was one solid muscle and there's nothing you can do."

It's not the first time Fort Wayne Police officers have been tased for training. Every training class has the option of being hit to see what it feels like and learn more about the weapon's power before taking it out on the streets.

The training is part classroom learning and part very hands on experience.

Sergeant Scott Berning is one of the taser instructors. He tells NewsChannel 15 that 95 percent of officers choose to be tased to see what it feels like.

Officers train with a taser that has a 25 feet cartridge with an extended probe. Behind the gun is a certified instructor, and one by one, officers take turns tensing for the electric shot.

"They're asked if they're ready, and at that time we give them the warning," explained Berning. "There's 5 seconds, the taser actually counts down five seconds, then it shuts down."

Once it's over, the officers are laid down and the probes are taken out. Recovering from the taser is almost instant and those five seconds could really help an officer in the long run.

Morales told NewsChannel 15, "I want to see what it's like cause if im going to have to deploy it I want to make sure that I can articulate, or say in court what I went through."

Officers say the taser's also a safer alternative when it comes to using force in dangerous situations.

"This is done and it's over with, and everyone's safer for it," explained Black.

SWAT team members used to be the only officers carrying tasers, but the department's program has grown a lot.

50 more tasers were just added, bringing the total to 115. Those tasers are distributed to all different officers in different shifts and quadrants.

Each taser costs around $700 dollars and the department hopes to add more as the budget allows.