Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi has issued a staunch defense of police Taser use, stating that ideological critics must recognize it as an “indispensable tool” provided to officers to avoid the use of firearms.
Minister Piantedosi emphasized that the rules of engagement strictly dictate that a Taser is to be deployed only when confronting violent and aggressive individuals who pose a concrete danger to others. “The safety of citizens is the primary objective that must be pursued,” he added.
According to initial reconstructions, this was precisely the situation facing Carabinieri officers in the recent interventions in Olbia and Genova. The Minister therefore dismissed the ensuing criticism of the police forces as “wholly pretextual, prejudicial, and unfounded,” offering them instead the government’s “complete gratitude and full support.”
While expressing his “deep sorrow for the death of two people” after a Taser was used on them, Piantedosi argued that this grief “must not be exploited solely to advance yet another campaign of dislike towards the guardians of order.” He confirmed that the judiciary will conduct its own investigations but stated that “nothing can call into question the professionalism, balance, and commitment of the police forces.”
In these two specific cases, Piantedosi underscored that the officers were responding to “extremely difficult and risky situations.” He concluded, “We must not show them respect only when they themselves become the victims of these situations.”