New guidelines give police officers in New Jersey wider discretion to use stun guns.
Acting Attorney General John Hoffman on Thursday announced changes to a policy that had required officers to determine whether a suspect was likely to cause death or bodily injury to either himself or another person.
Police had complained it wasn't practical. Hoffman says it discouraged officers from using stun guns in situations where they could have helped de-escalate confrontations.
The new guidelines permit officers to use stun guns on people who actively resist arrest and pose a "substantial" risk of causing bodily injury.
Police are prohibited from using stun guns on someone who is passively resisting arrest.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
