KOAA News 5 (Colorado Springs): n the last decade, law enforcement agencies across the nation have invested in taser guns.

They are marketed as a non-lethal alternative to gain control of individuals who often resist arrest or show aggression toward officers.

When they are effective, a stun gun will administer 50,000 volts of electricity, temporarily paralyzing the assailant.

Most individuals will recover from a taser shock in a matter of minutes, but news outlets nationwide have documented more than 1,000 deaths from taser deployments since 2000.

News 5 Investigates wanted to analyze data of how often Colorado Springs police use their taser gun and what crime the suspect is accused of committing, but getting that information has been challenging.

On Dec. 19, 2017, Chief Investigative Reporter Eric Ross filed an open records request with the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Under Colorado law, a media organization can request a waiver of any fees associated with the open records request, as long as the information is being used for a public purpose.

On Dec. 20, 2017, Lt. Howard Black, a spokesperson for the Colorado Springs Police Department chose not to honor our waiver request.

“I have requested an estimate for your request,” Lt. Black replied.

On Dec. 28, 2017 Lt. Black gave KOAA News 5 a cost estimate of $4,140 to retrieve arrest reports and use of force reports related to taser deployments from 2015-2017. News 5 also requested to review the officer narrative report for each case, which explains the situation surrounding the call for service.

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