Taser gun fired twice in first six weeks of trial

The controversial Taser gun has been taken by police to 16 incidents in its first six weeks of trial operation, but fired only twice.

At some of the call-outs the Taser had been used as a warning, by "laser painting" a red target on the offender.

Police said the intimidation factor of the Tasers appeared to be working.

The 50,000-volt guns were officially added to the police arsenal on September 1 despite protests from some politicians and anti-Taser groups.

Police have defended their use, describing them as an important crime-fighting tool amid growing violence, but critics have called for them to be banned.

Anti-Taser campaigner Marie Dyhrberg said at the time of the launch that efforts to stop the three-month trial would continue.

"Coroners reports in the United States have said Taser use was a contributing factor to deaths," she said. "There's no rush for us to use them while their impact is still being investigated overseas."

- NZPA