5 New Tasers for Yorktown Police

To help combat crime and controversy, Senator Terrence Murphy secured a $10,500 grant to fund the purchase of five new Taser X-2 guns for the Yorktown Police Department that are equipped with a camera that records both video and audio.

”The members of our police department put their lives on the line everyday to keep our families and community safe,” said Murphy in a prepared statement. “The new Taser guns will reduce the risk of an officer having to go one-on-one with someone and will help prevent people from committing a crime.”

The Taser X-2 features a nitrogen gas propulsion system that fires two darts from an average distance of 15 feet. The recipient feels a series of shocks, which causes an interruption of the recipient’s neuromuscular messages and causes muscle contractions. The shocks leave the recipient dazed and unable to resist the necessary actions of the deploying officer.

”We’re fortunate to live in a beautiful area, but like other towns our community is not immune to crime,” said Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace. “It’s important to have a police department that’s invested in the community. Having a Taser on hand will help officers diffuse potentially dangerous confrontations.”

Councilman Thomas Diana, a former Yorktown police officer, said the Taser X-2 can be a valuable law enforcement tool.

“A police officer often has a matter of seconds to decide a course of action,” Diana said. “A Taser can keep a suspect at bay and help an officer get control of a situation. I only wish they were available when I was on the force.”

“We live in a time when a police officer’s oath to “protect and serve” can be hampered by litigation or a controversial incident,“ Murphy officials said in the press release.

”I want to thank Senator Murphy for making the grant possible,” said Yorktown Police Chief Daniel McMahon. “We now have five additional state-of-the art Tasers that can help protect our officers and the members of our community. They will make it easier for our officers to restrain dangerous suspects.”