Mich. House lawmaker defends expanding citizen access to tasers

LANSING — Former Eaton County sheriff and Republican State Rep. Rick Jones says even after the death of a 30-year-old Matthew Bolick following a taser incident with East Grand Rapids Public Safety officers, he will continue to support his legislation to expand access to “citizen tasers.”

“I still contend it is much safer to use that [a taser] than to shoot a bullet,” Jones said in an interview.

Under his legislation, citizens would be required to qualify for taser ownership in the same way they are required to qualify for gun ownership. That means they could not have a criminal record or a history of mental health issues, and they would have to attend a class on the proper use of the taser including when it was legally permissible.

He called the law “carefully crafted” and said it would be carefully enforced, including punishment for some who decided to deploy their taser on a friend for fun.

“That would be like shooting a bullet,” Jones said.

He said the law is necessary.

“I developed a very strong feeling after 33 years in law enforcement — 31 of those with the county of Eaton — that people have the right to protect [themselves] from rape or death,” Jones said.

Jones noted that 43 states have laws permitting residents to possess the weapon, which shoots darts into a person and delivers an electrical charge which causes them to drop to the ground. Jones says citizens in Michigan won’t be hosting Tupperware-like taser parties or be able to walk into “Walmart buy one off the shelf.”

He said that those who have died from taser related incidents do so “when the heart is full of cocaine or some nasty drug.”

Since January, Michigan has seen three deaths of people in policy custody who have been tasered.

Jones’ bill passed the House Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources Committee, but was sent back to the committee by Democrats to include a provision that taser owners will be taught that a taser might kill. Jones says he does not oppose that amendment. The Jones bill is one in a package of three being considered by the Tourism Committee. Those bills are House Bill 5754, House Bill 5755 and House Bill 6280.