No shock as Sheriff's Office planning minor adjustments to Taser policy

The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office is planning to update its Taser policy, but only minimally.

The policy was first implemented in January 2001 and will be updated for “relevancy to patrol operations and use of force policy,” according to Deputy Scott Wilson, KCSO spokesman.

One of the changes currently being followed is that deputies should refrain from using a Taser on young children, the elderly, the infirm and pregnant women when the situation permits.

“This is now being verbalized by sergeants to the patrol deputies,” Wilson said.

He added that the policy is being updated because it has been four years since it was first introduced. Just recently the Seattle Police Department restricted their use of Tasers on the vulnerable and a supervisor also must be contacted when the Taser is used on a person more than three times.

“We’re not updating as major changes like Seattle (Police Department) or because of (the) Rosentangle (claim),” Wilson said. “Everything will pretty much stay the same.”

On March 8, former Kitsap County resident Holly Rosentangle filed a $2 million claim against the county alleging that her husband, Curt Rosentangle, died from a negligently used Taser gun after a struggle with Kitsap County Sheriff’s deputies on Feb. 21, 2004. Deputies were called to the Ridgetop Apartment complex that night when Curt Rosentangle was reported by residents as acting irrationally, running up and down halls, smashing porch lights and trying to force his way into apartments. He refused to calm down when asked by the deputy and began to get aggressive. The deputy used her Taser stun gun on him twice, but to no avail and the two started to struggle.

Another deputy and sergeant arrived and helped to secure Curt Rosentangle and shortly after he stopped breathing. Curt Rosentangle was pronounced dead shortly after he was transported to Harrison Hospital.

The Kitsap County Coroner’s report stated that Curt Rosentangle had died

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