Use of Tasers on people with mental illness A New Zealand database study.

Background: In 2006-2007 New Zealand police deployed the Taser X26 electro-muscular incapacitation device for a twelve month trial across four police districts. Criteria for use of the Taser included "individuals in various states of mental health crisis".

Aims: To provide a descriptive analysis of the use of Tasers by the New Zealand police; to identify those incidents that involved people in mental health emergencies; and to compare this use with that which occurred in incidents of criminal arrest.

Method: Descriptive analysis of the police Tactical Operations Database.

Results: Tasers were deployed on a total of 141 people in 124 events, and discharged 19 times. Of the 141 subjects, 30 (21%) involved people in mental health emergencies. Tasers were more than twice as likely to be discharged at mental health emergencies (8 of 30; 27%) than at criminal arrests (11 of 111; 10%) (X(2)=5.69; df=1; p=0.017). There were two incidents that involved a Taser being used as part of police response to in-patient mental health services and two incidents involving mental health community residential accommodation.

Conclusions: Introduction of Tasers into policing in New Zealand will disproportionately impact on people with mental illness. Guidelines are needed to manage the future use of Tasers in mental health emergencies.