SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 6, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TASER International, Inc. (Nasdaq:TASR), a market leader in digital evidence solutions and electronic control devices (ECDs), announced that on November 4 the Waukesha Police Department in Wisconsin successfully deployed the TASER(R) eXtended Range Electronic Projectile (XREP(TM)) from a TASER(R) X12(TM) Less Lethal Shotgun (LLS) to subdue a suicidal woman.

According to Waukesha Police, officers responded to a report of a suicidal woman with a knife. She was not only threatening her own life, but the life of another. Upon arrival officers received information that the subject of the call was a 47-year-old woman with a history of mental illness.

Officers located the woman in a highly agitated state. In order to safely take her into protective custody officers deployed the XREP. The deployment was successful and no higher forms of force were needed. Neither the woman nor any officers were injured.

"This is a momentous event for our law enforcement partners as this is the first life protected without injury outside of our pilot programs through the combined use of our production advanced wireless TASER XREP and our TASER X12 Less Lethal Shotgun," said Tom Smith, Chairman and founder of TASER International. "We are pleased with the performance of these two life-saving systems integrating successfully. We applaud the Waukesha Police Department's successful intervention to protect life with TASER technology."

About TASER XREP and TASER X12

The XREP is a wireless self-contained electronic ECD deployed from a 12-gauge pump-action. It delivers a similar Neuro Muscular Incapacitation (NMI) bio-effect as our handheld TASER(R) X26(TM) ECD with a maximum effective range approaching 100 feet (30.48 meters).

The battery supply is fully integrated into the chassis and provides the power to drive the XREP projectile engine and thereby "wireless" compared to traditional hand held TASER ECDs.

While the XREP can be deployed from any 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, Mossberg and TASER International joined forces to produce the TASER(R) X12(TM) LLS, utilizing a re-engineered Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun to optimize the TASER XREP. The TASER X12 includes Radial Key(TM) Ammunition technology to prevent the system from deploying lethal 12-gauge rounds in order to remove the possibility of end users accidentally firing a lethal round in a less-lethal system during high stress situations.

No other system on the market today prevents the operator from inadvertently deploying a lethal round.