Rockford (Illinois) police take Tasers off the streets after safety warning

ROCKFORD (WREX) - A safety warning issued by Taser International prompts the Rockford Police Department to take the weapons away from its officers.

13 News was first to tell you on WREX.com Wednesday about the advisory issued by Taser International to police agencies across the country to not shoot its stun guns at a suspect's chest. The Arizona-based company says hitting someone in the chest with the weapon poses an extremely low risk of causing an "adverse cardiac event."

On Thursday, the Rockford Police Department announced the withdrawal of the weapons from its officers after 4:00 p.m. Thursday. They took the action after having internal meetings to discuss the alert issued by Taser International.

In a statement, the department says they may have to revise policies and training before the weapons could be put back in officer's hands.