dont you think they are doing this just a little too late. like a day after where they lose the lawsuit and ard are ordered to pay out a few million in damages. Original Article Mesa puts new limits on Taser use Senta Scarborough The Arizona Republic Mar. 31, 2005 12:00 AM MESA - A week after the city paid out $2.4 million in a civil lawsuit involving the use of a Taser, police are adding restrictions to its stun-gun policy for officers and providing specifics for when the weapon should be used. Mesa Police Chief Dennis Donna approved changes to the Taser policy last Thursday, less than a week after Mesa paid $2.2 million to Bruce Bellemore, who fell 10 feet out of a tree onto his head in February 2004 after an officer fired a stun gun at him. The city also paid $200,000 to the hospital that cared for Bellemore, who was left a quadriplegic. The new policy says the weapon should not be used when a suspect is in an "elevated position" where a fall is likely to cause substantial injury or death, among other restrictions. Mesa police Sgt. Chuck Trapani said the change is part of the department's annual use-of-force policy review and doesn't stem from any single Taser-related incident. "We made the order more specific to give the officers more examples of when a Taser should and shouldn't be used," Trapani said. "It's a relatively new tool, and through experience we're learning when best to utilize it in the field," he said. Some of changes in the new four-page Taser policy include that officers should consider the suspect's age and physical condition, and it raises the level of force when a Taser can be used. "Before, if someone clenches their fist, we could Taser him. Now, we have to wait for him to get in the fighting stance unless there are special circumstances," Trapani said.