BALTIMORE – Baltimore police officials say the department cut its use of stun guns nearly in half in 2016.
The Baltimore Sun reports (http://bsun.md/2jsh1Ca) that the department reported 181 stun gun incidents in 2016, a 46 percent decline from the record high of 347 the agency recorded in 2015.
Commissioner Ken Davis enacted a new policy in July that required officers to use stun guns only when suspects display "active aggression" and not simply failing to follow orders.
Justice Department investigators had criticized the department for using stun guns on noncompliant people who did not display any force against officers.
The federal government began investigating the police department's practices following the April 2015 death of Freddie Gray, a black man who was fatally injured while in police custody.
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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com
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