KEY POINTS:
Assaults, suicide attempts and standoffs with armed suspects have all prompted police to unholster their latest weapon - the Taser.
The electrical stun gun, trialled in parts of Auckland and Wellington since September 1, is believed to have been deployed 85 times. However, police headquarters has yet to receive all reports of its use.
The taser has been fired 13 times: no one has been injured.
Police hope the weapon will lower the number of assaults on officers, and prove an effective, less-lethal option than firearms. Opponents believe the Taser poses an unacceptable health risk, could be misused, and could be a stepping stone towards the police eventually becoming an armed force.
Some incidents have been cited as examples of why police need the Taser, including the disarming of a Naenae man who is alleged to have stabbed his three children. However other cases, such as a high-profile violent confrontation on a Henderson street, have seen many question the way police are using the weapon.
All Taser incidents are being assessed by police before a final recommendation on whether to introduce the weapon is made.
OFFICIALLY RECORDED TASER INCIDENTS = cases where Taser fired
SEPTEMBER 3 Orewa. Man threatening to kill himself and his mother "laser painted" (a warning as a deterrent).
SEPTEMBER 4 Waitakere. Suspect armed with screwdriver laser painted.
SEPTEMBER 4 Manurewa. Man armed with wheel brace laser painted.
SEPTEMBER 6 Wellington. Man threatening others with knife laser painted.
SEPTEMBER 6 Auckland city. Man harming himself laser painted.
SEPTEMBER 7 Auckland. People in vehicle suspected of carjacking refuse to get out. Laser painted.
SEPTEMBER 8 A Western Springs 18-year-old becomes the first man to have a Taser fired at him He had been drinking and was pointing a weedeater at police when the weapon was fired.
SEPTEMBER 9 Auckland city. Man harming himself laser painted.
SEPTEMBER 10 Counties Manukau. Man armed with offensive weapon laser painted.
SEPTEMBER 14 Counties Manukau. Taser taken out but not used after car chase.
SEPTEMBER 17 Avondale. Reports of a firearm being presented, Taser de-holstered but not used.
SEPTEMBER 20 New Lynn. Man who threatened woman with knife found by police. Taser de-holstered but not used.
SEPTEMBER 27 Counties Manukau. Man threatening to kill himself laser painted.
OCTOBER 1 Auckland city. Man in breach of protection order threatens to throw wife from balcony. Laser painted, then OC sprayed and Taser fired before man finally subdued.
OCTOBER 3 Otara. Man smashing home with baseball bat laser painted.
OCTOBER 3 Auckland city. Man who had threatened sister and her partner with a machete laser painted.
OCTOBER 29 Lower Hutt. Man who had smashed a vehicle with a spade and assaulted another man, told Taser de-holstered. Surrendered before weapon used.
OCTOBER 29 Papatoetoe. Gang member wanted for wounding with intent laser painted.
NOVEMBER 6 Wellington. Son holding knife to mother's throat. Taser presented, man surrenders.
NOVEMBER 11 Wellington. Taser de-holstered as police enter home of man known to be violent, who had threatened to kill himself. Man had left the property.
NOVEMBER 12 Porirua. Police called to domestic incident. Aggressive man advances on police. Is laser painted, then Taser fired after he continues to advance. Second man arrives, officer with Taser convinces him not to get involved while others handcuff first man.
NOVEMBER 13 Wellington. Police called to domestic incident at home of man who had previously threatened police and threatened to commit suicide. Taser de-holstered, but man compliant.
NOVEMBER 14 Wellington. Police return to the scene of the Nov 11 incident after more threats. Taser holstered and AOS called in. Man persuaded to surrender.
NOVEMBER 15 South Auckland. Taser de-holstered during AOS alert but not required.
NOVEMBER 17 South Auckland. Police called to domestic incident, find the man's mother has disarmed him. Taser had been de-holstered, but none of people involved knew it was present.
NOVEMBER 20 North Shore. Man calls police asking them to come over so he can slit their throats. Police break into house, man Tasered after continuing to threaten officers with a knife. Taser has to be fired twice to subdue the man.
NOVEMBER 26 Wainuiomata. Man laser painted after grabbing his daughter and shutting the two of them in a room of his house. Man persuaded to surrender.
NOVEMBER 30 Hillsborough. Man laser painted after chasing his wife armed with a knife.
NOVEMBER 30 Henderson. Taser pointed at man suspected of threatening his partner with an axe.
DECEMBER 1 Orewa. Man reports being threatened with a pistol. Police tell man they have a Taser, and twice pepper spray him before he surrenders.
DECEMBER 2 Te Atatu. Two men suspected of robbing dairy confronted. One told Taser present and surrenders. The other gives up after being laser painted.
DECEMBER 8 Auckland. Man resisting arrest laser painted.
DECEMBER 9 Manurewa. Two men running away from large fight laser painted and arrested.
DECEMBER 9 Newlands. Taser de-holstered after police confront man believed to be armed.
DECEMBER 11 Mt Albert. Man bleeding from self-inflicted wounds stunned by Taser, handcuffed and taken to hospital.
DECEMBER 13 Auckland. Man trying to prevent police arresting brother laser painted.
DECEMBER 13 Auckland. Taser de-holstered at aggravated robbery, two men surrender.
DECEMBER 23 Wellington. Man smashing up his home told police have Taser.
DECEMBER 23 South Auckland. Man laser painted after not moving away from a knife he had been ordered to put down.
DECEMBER 26 Henderson. Man walking down street holding a rifle and threatening to "take out a cop". Man Tasered twice.
DECEMBER 26 Manurewa. Man threatens to harm himself, surrenders after Taser presented.
JANUARY 2 Lower Hutt. Hospital patient laser painted after he rips doors off hinges.
JANUARY 8 Waitakere. Man hiding under bed laser painted, agrees to surrender. Samurai sword found under bed.
JANUARY 15 East Auckland. Man laser painted during AOS call out.
JANUARY 16 Waitakere. Man seen dragging wife into house at knifepoint laser painted.
JANUARY 17 Wellington. AOS officers arresting a man are attacked by his pit bull. Dog sprayed twice with OC spray, then Tasered after the man did not call his dog off.
JANUARY 18 Manurewa. Man wielding knife and trying to break into a van where family members had taken refuge laser painted.
JANUARY 25 Wellington. Taser de-holstered but not used after police calm agitated man.
JANUARY 26 North Shore. Taser shown to man with history of violence as he resists arrest.
JANUARY 26 Papatoetoe. Man laser painted twice after becoming aggressive with police called to domestic incident involving his daughter.
JANUARY 27 Papatoetoe. Man believed to have stabbed a man laser painted.
JANUARY 27 Wairarapa. Man threatening suicide and armed with loaded rifle laser painted.
JANUARY 29 Papatoetoe. Man stabs man unknown to him, then flees into oncoming traffic. Sole officer present uses OC spray but misses, and then uses Taser when man runs towards traffic again. Taser fired second time after man again tries to run away.
JANUARY 30 North Shore. Police arc Taser after man refuses to be handcuffed.
FEBRUARY 1 Wellington. Man saying he wanted to hurt someone laser painted.
FEBRUARY 3 Otara. Man armed with a variety of weapons laser painted.
FEBRUARY 6 Wellington. Taser de-holstered while police detain and later commit to hospital a man behaving irrationally.
FEBRUARY 6 Wellington. Taser de-holstered after police called to domestic incident where firearms believed to be present. Rifle and pistol found at scene.
FEBRUARY 6 Wellington. Woman known to carry knives acting bizarrely. Taser de-holstered but not used.
FEBRUARY 8 West Auckland. Man with history of violence laser painted in domestic incident.
FEBRUARY 17 Papatoetoe. Man smashing vehicles and threatening people laser painted.
FEBRUARY 18 Lower Hutt. Police arc and fire Taser at man who stabbed his three children and threatened others. Police say three infants lucky to survive.
FEBRUARY 20. West Auckland. Taser pointed at man with knife who refused to surrender.
FEBRUARY 23 Manurewa. Man threatens to kill himself with a knife. After hour-long stand-off, Taser fired to prevent the man stabbing himself. Taser fired again so he could be disarmed and restrained.
MARCH 2 Auckland. Man laser painted after road rage incident involving a machete.
MARCH 4 Auckland. Man laser painted after police called to domestic incident.
MARCH 6 Wellington. Man fighting and breaking windows laser painted.
MARCH 9 Kapiti. Man laser painted during AOS call out after man threatened to shoot police.
MARCH 12 Porirua. Man laser painted after breaching protection order. Taser holstered but man had to be OC sprayed to restrain him.
MARCH 14 Wellington. Man laser painted during AOS search, surrenders.
MARCH 20 Wellington. Man smashes his way into house, threatens to kill occupants. Confronted by police leaving the house, he is laser painted. The man advances on police and is Tasered.
MARCH 20 Auckland. Woman acting bizarrely and known to be anti-police locks herself in bathroom. Woman and officers believed to be at risk of injury, so Taser fired.
MARCH 22 Henderson. Man arrested by police after street fight struggles with officers, who are unable to bring him under control. One of man's associates begins advancing on police, so officer stuns the struggling man with his Taser.
MARCH 30 Lower Hutt. Man laser painted during AOS call out.
MARCH 31 Petone. Man believed to be armed laser painted after he walks out of a room holding a young child. He surrenders without incident.
APRIL 5 Lower Hutt. Man laser painted after police called to street fight involving gang members.
APRIL 9 North Shore. Axe-wielding man laser painted. After man drops axe Taser hidden from view as OC spray used.