Less than two weeks after the police-involved shooting at the Sutter Avenue subway station in Brownsville, questions remain about the NYPD's use of Tasers.
On the day of the shooting, police opened fire, hitting four people - three unintentionally -because their Tasers didn’t subdue their suspect.
It wasn’t the first time NYPD officers encountered issues with Taser deployment.
In 2021, police attempted to use a Taser on Eudes Pierre to subdue him. When the device didn't work, officers shot Pierre 10 times, killing him.
“We [family] definitely feel the void,” said Pierre's cousin, Sheina Banatte. “We all had our own special connection with Eudes.”
In Pierre’s case, officers cited the suspect's heavy winter coat as the reason for the Taser’s ineffectiveness, says Banatte.
"Why are you using it if you know it can’t penetrate certain materials?" she said.
Following the Sutter Avenue shooting, NYPD leaders addressed the public, discussing the accuracy of Tasers. “There are a few reasons they could be ineffective,” a spokesperson said during a press conference. “Loose clothing or close proximity can be factors.”
Retired lieutenant commander of the NYPD Detective Squad, Robert Louden, described Tasers as tricky devices but emphasized the need for continued investment in less-lethal technologies.
"Whatever is on the market, you have to keep looking for better equipment,” he said.
Last year, the NYPD signed a $54 million contract for 6,700 new Tasers, the same model used during the Sutter Avenue incident.
A similar model costs around roughly $11.3 million for that quantity. The department already had roughly 7,700 older models in use earlier this year.
“It doesn’t surprise me, but it’s jarring,” Banatte said. “The city doesn’t have its priorities intact.”
The NYPD has not disclosed how many more Tasers it plans to purchase.
