The Metro Nashville City Council voted against a new contract to purchase the latest model of Tasers for the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) on Tuesday, declining what proponents claimed was the opportunity to save money on new technology that will be more expensive to taxpayers when its purchase is eventually required.
Council Member Courtney Johnston (District 26) sponsored the resolution to expand the city’s ongoing contract with Axon, the company that manufactures and supports Taser devices, to upgrade to the company’s latest model.
Josh Sparks, a representative from Axon, told the council there are more than 1,000 studies showing Tasers are the best non-lethal weapon available to law enforcement, with no studies showing negative long-term effects from using the devices.
Deputy Chief Chris Gilder told the council that the amendment would upgrade all existing MNPD Tasers and expand the department’s number of authorized users to reflect current MNPD staffing, as there is currently a gap of around 200 officers who do not have the devices.
Explaining why the upgrade was necessary, Gilder explained the department’s current Taser 7 model is sometimes ineffective at piercing multiple layers of clothing, and the new Taser 10
Gilder offered two incidents in which a Taser failed to incapacitate suspects in cases that “involved a subsequent use of deadly force,” explaining that the Taser 7 is less effective at penetrating thick clothing. In both instances, Gilder added that the suspects “had edged weapons,” and one “actually charged the officers with a knife” after the Taser was ineffective, requiring the immediate use of lethal force.
He added that the new model of Tasers allows officers to aim each electric prong individually and fire up to nine times without reloading.
The Metro Council approved $3.15 million for new Tasers in 2022, though it was less than the $5.8 million the agency originally requested. At the time, Deputy Chief Taylor told the council that the Tasers were absolute, explaining that Axon, the company that produces and supports the devices, was planning to drop support for that model.
The resolution ultimately failed, with 24 councilors voting against it and 14 voting in favor.
Johnston told WKRN that the real losers were “not MNPD, not the company,” but “the taxpayers,” noting that the current generation of devices used are five years old, and “at some point the company is going to stop supporting that older model,” meaning MNPD will eventually have to upgrade their equipment at a potentially higher cost.
MNPD spokesman Don Aaron told the outlet the agency was “disappointed,” and said police “would not have advocated” for the contract amendment “if we did not believe it was in the best interest of all of Nashville.”
Those who were against the contract argued that the older model of Tasers currently used by MNPD are not yet out of date, the outlet reported.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
