The ECD (Taser) instruction indicates it corresponds to which level of resistance?

• A. Passive resistance
• B. Aggressive physical resistance
• C. Verbal resistance
• D. Active physical resistance

Answer: (D)

The level where the subject is actively resisting through physical movements best fits for using an ECD. When someone is actively resisting, they’re taking concrete actions to break away or push against you—pulling, twisting, grabbing, or squaring up to fight back. An ECD is designed to rapidly incapacitate enough to create distance and gain control, making it a practical choice at this stage to de-escalate and allow safer control.

Verbal resistance involves only words or nonphysical defiance, so a TASER wouldn’t be appropriate there. Passive resistance is nonmoving or noncompliant without active physical effort, which also doesn’t warrant deploying an incapacitating device. Aggressive physical resistance implies a higher threat level, such as actively attacking; while an ECD could still be used in some policies, the level most closely aligned with TASER use is active physical resistance, where the person is physically resisting but not yet delivering an assault.