Steve Keller, a retired police sergeant in Blue Ash, Ohio, said the most common causes of Taser failure include clothing, probe placement, substance abuse by the perpetrator and connectivity between probes.
However, obesity can affect the Taser, he said, as a large layer of body fat could interfere with the connectivity.
Multiple Taser deployments failed to stop Pamela Cisneros, 49, during a roughly four-minute standoff in Times Square last Monday, after she allegedly stabbed two people. (Fox 5)
“The purpose of the Taser is neuromuscular in capacity,” Keller told Fox News Digital.
“Your large muscle masses are your back and thighs. Officers are trained to aim for those areas,” he said, just as they are also trained to adjust their aiming for clothing and the distance between them and the subject.
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If one of the probes hits the abdomen and the person is obese, it can affect the connectivity of the two probes, according to Keller.
“If one probe hits the person and the other probe misses, the Taser will not work,” he said.
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For example, if one probe hits a subject in the thigh and the other probe hits a thick bubble jacket, there’s a good chance the officer won’t have good connectivity, Keller said.
The incident sparked broader questions about why Tasers sometimes fail and whether obesity or body composition can impede their effectiveness. (Fox 5)
“The same could be considered if there is a large layer of body fat — they could still feel it, but it might not be as effective.”
Referring to Cisneros’ case, Keller emphasized that mental health may also play a significant role in how a person responds to a Taser.
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Tisch confirmed at the press conference that the suspect had a documented mental health history with the NYPD, with one incident in 2018 and another in 2019.
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, agreed that body composition can affect the Taser’s effectiveness.
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“Tasers are much more effective for muscle than fat because muscle conducts electricity much better, and the Taser delivers a high voltage,” he said. “In an obese person, it is more difficult to find an area that conducts electricity.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Axon, the NYPD and obesity organizations requesting comment.
