Most people will never come face to face with a stun gun simulator, but for some law enforcement students in the Police Explorers program, it was just another day.
Police Explorers is an outside of school program for Keller ISD students who are serious about law enforcement, and it is run by the Keller Police Department. Students who take part in this program have the chance to encounter a wide variety of situations they might face in their career, such as being tasered with a simulation stun gun.
“I did not prepare for [the simulation taser] at all,” said junior Hailey Richardson. “I was just nervous throughout the day, not knowing what to expect.”
Out of the Explorers, 26 out of the 28 students experienced the stimulation taser. Parental permission was required for each participant in order to keep them safe.
In the moments leading up to the tasering, the upcoming participant would be supported on either side by one of their peers. A police officer then applied the simulation taser to the student’s back. After the quick jolt of electricity, the participant was laid on the floor, and the simulation taser was kept connected to them for three minutes before it could be safely removed.
“Being [simulation] tasered was very painful, especially considering I am a very small person,” Richardson explained. “The electric shock hit me harder than someone of a larger size.”
“You can’t prepare for something like that; being [simulation] tasered was extremely painful,” said Cody Johnson, a junior who is also part of the Police Explorers program.
As part of the law enforcement pathway, Richardson and Johnson understand how vital these experiences are.
“It is important for students to gain these opportunities because when we go to any law enforcement academy, they will do a[n actual] taser test,” noted Richardson. “We are learning what [equipment] we will be using and how it is used.”
Offering these possibilities to students is the purpose of career-based activities in Keller ISD, and they are crucial to forming people who are ready to enter their field of employment.
“We get a lot of hands on experience, and we see what this pathway is like in the real world,” Richardson admitted. “These opportunities are preparing us for our future careers in law enforcement.”
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story did not clarify that the device used in these simulations was not an actual stun gun (taser). Additionally, there is added clarification of which law enforcement students (the extracurricular Police Explorers program) were involved. We apologize for any confusion based on the earlier, uncorrected report.
