Are Tasers too risky for police officers to use?(A SECTION)

Most police officers want to carry one type of gun more than any other -- one that stays holstered.

Law-enforcement agencies train officers to subdue uncooperative suspects with techniques ranging from firing off an order in a firm voice to firing a bullet with deadly force.

The more options in between, they say, the better.

That is why agencies across the country are adding Tasers to their arsenals. But some critics say that despite the manufacturer's claims, the electronic stun guns can be deadly. Tasers, they say, may have contributed to the deaths of people during encounters with law-enforcement officers and the stun guns can be used abusively.

The battery-powered devices look similar to a standard handgun. They use compressed nitrogen to propel a pair of probes, attached to wires, into a person from as far as 21 feet and deliver a 50,000-volt charge. The person shot usually loses neuromuscular control for a …