I realize Wilson had no Taser.
That’s because he chose not to carry one because it was awkward and uncomfortable. Which I’m sure it was.
Perfectly good reason not to carry it, then. As others have pointed out, Tasers are far from universally-effective, and frankly, if the Taser is bulky and difficult to deploy, the decision to forgo it (a decision made BEFORE the encounter with the thug) may be the right one.
If the circumstances had been different, if the situation had been more controlled, if backup had already arrived, and the thug's escape pretty much cut off by a deployment of armed officers, the use of the Taser might have been a good idea, as, failing that on the part of one or more officers, others could have then shot the bugger dead.
But once the thug aggressed against the officer, the officer was duty-bound to do his best to prevent the thug's escape back into the community, and thus gave chase. Unless you'd prefer a headline like: “Thug Escapes And Murders Innocents Because Cowardly Cop Doesn't Give Chase.” The thug was an immediate danger, not just to himself, but to the entire community. He'd already proven that in the convenience store BEFORE his encounter with the officer.
This is a case where the cop actually did the right thing - giving chase - at some risk to his own safety, but in protection of the rest of the public at large.
The only reasonable choice was to plug the thug.
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