Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell says his office will undertake a statewide review of the use of non-lethal force including electronic stun guns by police in the wake of a pair of controversial incidents in Brattleboro.
Assistant Attorney General Cindy Maguire says the review will go beyond the Brattleboro incidents to gather information from Vermont police agencies about when and how they use Tasers.
Maguire says Vermont police agencies should have a consistent standard, and the review will aim to set that by looking at how different cities and towns use the instruments.
On July 3rd, a patient at Brattleboro Retreat was hit with a Taser by police called to the scene to help subdue him.
Three weeks later, Brattleboro police used one on a pair of non-violent protesters who had chained themselves to a barrel in a protest over the proposed development of a vacant lot.