"It's my life or someone else's life," Officer Brandy Jonsson said. "I have a 4-year-old and a husband to come home to so I want to come home every night."
Jonsson has been on the Fayetteville police force for about five months. She says she wouldn't hesitate to use deadly force to keep someone or herself safe while on patrol.
As a new officer, she's not been issued a Taser, but she knows how important the device can be if confronted with someone who becomes combative during an arrest.
"It helps reduce injuries for police officers and also the suspects we encounter," Jonsson said. "They're going to induce less injury if we use that Taser than they would if I have to go hands on and use mace, or ASP Baton, or even deadly force."
The Taser could have come in handy Monday when Officer Bobby Cash had to use his gun to shoot Gregory Townsend when he became combative while being arrested in Sparky's nightclub. It also could have come in handy Thursday when Officer Mary McCaffery was assaulted by a suspect who got away during an attempted arrest on Ramsey Street.
Police say the Tasers have been tested and have been doing what they're designed to do.
"We received back some of the test," said Gavin MacRoberts, police spokesperson. "I think that there were only about five Tasers that actually had any problems, and the problems they were coming up with were not actually over charges, actually undercurrent."
McCaffery is going to be okay, but it's unclear how long she will be out or how long it will be before she returns to her patrol car.
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