Doesn't a Taser also have a "red light" laser for target sighting on subject?

[FarPoint]

I have seen a few Tasers and I recall a red light that shined on the target site for aiming.....besides the weight and color differences from a Glock vs Taser...that red light laser should of been a clue...the lack of one that is....

This entire assault on Dante Wright has big "holes" in the story....there was no urgency to where the officer had to shoot....no weapon threatening the life of others...30 seconds of focusing could of avoided this...at a minimum...

[RockRaven]

1. Maybe it needs to be a totally different shape than a pistol & not operated by a forefinger trigger

Let's take this excuse for killer cops all the way off the fucking table.

Maybe make them shaped like a grapple gun from the animated Batman TV shows, with a thumb-operated button, or something. https://www.therpf.com/forums/media/holding-the-grapple-gun.50194/full?d=1546718597

[Aussie105]

2. Taser taser taser!

I don't actually see any reason for her to respond like that.

A $90K/pa cop who reacts like that, and doesn't know her left from her right? Doesn't know the difference between a taser and a gun?
Good use of public money!

Solution? No guns, seeing they don't know how to use them to 'defend' themselves.
Tasers to follow. Take them away if used inappropriately.

Too drastic? OK, fine them 1 month's pay for every inappropriate use of gun or taser.
Plus appropriate legal consequences for harm or death done that way, of course.

Just go out there and survive on your wits, police people!

You may just discover if the public see you less as a deadly thread, they may respond differently?

Police aren't responding to a war footing created by armed civilians, the police created that war footing!

[TwilightZone]

5. She said it presumably so that her fellow officer would stand clear.

I thought that seemed kind of obvious. Perhaps not.

[Withywindle]

9. 1 month's pay as a fine is laughably low.

I think if an independent commission finds the "mistake" lead to the death of someone who should not have died, that police officer should be fired immediately, and never get to work in the field again. As a MINIMUM. Don't put them on desk duty or "administrative leave" while still paying them. Don't transfer them to another department. FIRE THEM. Getting fired is nowhere near as bad as getting killed, so I don't have much sympathy. They can find another job in another field, but do not ever let them have a gun and badge and legal authority over others again.

[dawg day]

3. We had an officer come to my community group and showed us his taser--

It looked more like a garage-door opener and beamed a red laser light on the target.

It would never be mistaken for the gun or vice versa.

[FarPoint]

8. That's my sense of the situation ...

There has to be more to this ..

[msongs]

4. have read the taser was yellow and the gun was black. if so that did not help nt

[doc03]

6. Pictures I have seen on TV show a yellow taser if that is the model she had, I don't know how

you could make that mistake. I have seen other ones that almost look like Glock though.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

10. Tunnel vision and point shooting

Stress situation and at that close distance, you aren't looking at your gun or your sights, your are looking at your target. It was called reflexive fire when I was in the Army in the mid 2000's. Police might call it something else, but I know they are trained the same way. Basically at close range, you will naturally aim at the threat you see without the need to bring the gun to aim down the sights. Its quicker, and at close ranges, the accuracy is acceptable. Speed is the emphasis at close ranges.

I think the issue here was lack of training. Her being a long term veteran on the force, she was not likely keeping up with training. Sad fact is training for police is barely adequate and heavily concentrated on using a gun. Like most jobs and with most people, the longer you are in a job, the higher likelihood you start coasting and get more complacent. She was probably only doing the bare minimum on already barely adequate training. I think her lack of training led to a mix up, similar to what could happen if you get into a different car with a different ignition system. If you own and are used to a car with a key ignition system in the steering column, and get into a rental with a button the dash, there is a good chance at one point you will reach to twist the key out of instinct and muscle memory. Similar thing could have happened here. She may have thought and wanted to use her taser, but due to her lack of training and diligence, her brain defaulted to what she knew best and she drew her pistol instead. Its no excuse for what happened as it could have been avoided with good training, but I can see how she did not mean to actually kill him. It doesn't change the fact that she should face charges for it and serve time.

[doc03]

11. I agree at that close range you are not going to aim a pistol. In my opinion it was just a lack of

training. The officer said taser several times and seamed shocked she had shot him and the other officer did as well.
I don't think that was an act they come up with to cover a murder. But in the future that could become a practice to
cover up a shooting.

[jmowreader]

7. Many police firearms also have laser sights

The reality is probably that she wanted to kill him.