At what point should a dart-firing stun gun be deployed?

The utilization of a dart-firing stun gun should be considered when the situation escalates to active resistance. Active resistance involves individuals physically opposing an officer's attempts to engage or control them, such as trying to flee or physically struggling against an officer's authority. At this point, traditional de-escalation tactics, like verbal negotiations, may no longer be effective, and deploying a stun gun can provide a means for the officer to achieve compliance while aiming to minimize injury to both the officer and the subject.

This approach underscores the concept of proportionality in the use of force; officers are trained to escalate their responses to an appropriate level depending on the behavior of the subject. Therefore, using a stun gun at the moment of active resistance helps to safely mitigate the situation without resorting to lethal force or engaging in an extended physical struggle.

Engaging during verbal negotiations is generally an inappropriate moment for such escalation, as the focus should remain on communication efforts. Similarly, using a stun gun on an already restrained individual, such as someone in handcuffs, or addressing passive resistance—where a subject is merely refusing to comply without any physical aggression—would not align with the principles of reasonable and necessary force. These distinctions are critical for ensuring the responsible and lawful use