The training handbook shows the proper technique for subduing a suspect.

The Providence Journal / Bob Thayer

FOSTER — Patrolman John Forrest still had the small, red marks from where the two sharp, needle-like probes lodged in his skin.

It had been hours since he was shot with a stun gun, but there they were, one mark on his upper right shoulder, the other on his lower back.

The probes had each been attached to a thin, insulated wire connected to the gun, and, for five seconds after he was hit, 1,200 volts of electricity coursed through Forrest’s body. He could barely remember what it felt like, but he was certain he didn’t like it.

“That was my first and last time,” he said afterward.

Forrest, who graduated from the Municipal Police Academy last week, volunteered to be shot by a Taser gun, the latest weapon acquired by the department, as part of his training on Wednesday afternoon.

All of the department’s eight officers, including Police Chief Robert Coyne, subjected themselves, voluntarily, to the Taser, said Sgt. Robert Bolger, the officer in charge of the training session.

“It’s good to experience what you may be doing to someone else,” he said.

The department received two of the weapons, which cost $1,200 each, last week. Since then, each officer has attended a six-hour training session to learn about the Taser gun, how to use it, and when to use it.

Officers listened to a presentation, took a written examination, and went through a simulated drill with inanimate targets.

Coyne says the guns, which were purchased through department funds, are to help officers patrol more effectively and safely. Officers on patrol face significant challenges breaking up fights and general unruliness, especially at night, because there usually is no back up.

“We’re a rural community and a small department, so officers are often times by themselves. This is another tool at their disposal,” said Coyne.

Patrolman Mario Mennella said the Taser was a welcome addition to the officer’s arsenal. “There’s a little more comfort knowing that if something happens, we’re a little bit better protected,” he said.

Foster joins the ranks of a number of communities in the state already using Taser guns, including Burrillville, Coventry, Tiverton, North Providence, to name a few.

In many places nationally, the guns are standard issue, and have contributed to an overall decrease in officer and subject injuries, says Bolger. “The risk decreases because you don’t have to get into a physical confrontation,” he said.

Foster police officers are currently issued pepper spray, batons, and handguns. According to the department’s policy manual, the weapon is to be used “at the officer’s discretion” and is considered equivalent, in terms of use of force, as pepper spray.

The department purchased the X26, the Scottsdale, Ariz.-company’s latest model gun. Less powerful than previous models, it is more effective because it sends out a quicker electrical pulse, says Bolger.

The gun produces 50,000 volts of electricity; however the body receives about 1,200 volts. Citing data from Taser International, Bolger said the electrical current, measured in amperes, is far less than what is put out by a single Christmas tree light.

A single shot from the gun sends an electrical current disrupting the nervous and muscular system. The gun can be used at close range or as far as 25 feet and still is 99-percent effective in immobilizing a subject, says Bolger.

“Getting Tased once is all you need. It takes the fight right out of you,” he said.

The model that the department purchased comes with a tiny video camera attached to its handle which records what happens when the gun is fired. The gun also has a memory chip that can be downloaded onto a computer recording each instance when the gun is activated. Additionally, each cartridge has a serial number that is assigned to a specific officer.

“It’s total accountability,” said Bolger.

pmarcelo@projo.com