Winnipeg police lose FIFTH taser cartridge in 11 months

See also a September 2010 article: Winnipeg cops study ways to avoid losing Taser cartridges - After its officers lost four unused Taser cartridges in eight months, the Winnipeg Police Service is looking at ways to zap any further losses ...

December 29, 2010
Winnipeg Free Press

A Winnipeg police officer lost a Taser cartridge while on duty overnight Monday.

Police are warning the public not to pick up the cartridge, as it could accidentally discharge and deliver an electric shock to an unsuspecting victim.

Police hope to get the cartridge back.

The Taser itself was not lost, they say. The cartridge became dislodged and separated from a uniformed patrol officer's service belt while the officer was on duty downtown.

The cartridge was in a pouch and is a black plastic case with a design of lightning bolts on the top and side, moulded into the plastic.

The dimensions are about five centimetres long and about 2.5 centimetres thick. It is lightweight.

If the cartridge is picked up by an unsuspecting person and carried in a pocket, a buildup of static energy could activate the cartridge, causing the probes to be propelled, police said.

Anyone who spots the cartridge is asked to contact police at 986-3061.