ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Department of Justice just finished a 3-year investigation into the Orange County Sheriff's Office and how deputies use tasers. Deputies will now have to change the way they use the devices.
The sheriff says all the deputies will be trained on the new policies within a month.
Sheriff Jerry Demings has entered into a settlement agreement and will change the agency's taser use as part of an agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ). The federal agency opened an investigation after someone made a complaint in 2006 and alleged the sheriff's office violated people's civil rights by using excessive force in relation to taser use.
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The sheriff says he has made changes and, so far this year, deputies have only deployed tasers 87 times. As part of the agreement, the DOJ will oversee the agency for at least 18 months.
"We don't have anything to hide. Come in, look at documents. That's where we are now," Demings said.
The DOJ will monitor the agency and make sure the sheriff's office stays in compliance with the new rules. Some changes include that deputies will no longer be able to taser young children, elderly people, pregnant women, or someone who is passive.
Also, deputies will now have to announce they are going to tase the person before they actually deploy the weapon. Only one person can tase at a time and each time a taser is used, a superior will have to go to the scene and make sure proper documents are filled out.
WFTV asked Demings if he thought the policy was too stringent. He said he welcomes the change.
"I would not call them strict. They are appropriate," he said.
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