TRENTON, N.J. (AP / WCBS 880) – New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow has announced a new policy that lifts many restrictions on the use of stun guns by law enforcement.

LISTEN: WCBS 880′s Kelly Waldron reports

The changes announced Thursday mean officers will be able to use stun guns on anyone threatening death or serious injury. The original rules, adopted less than a year ago, restricted the use of electric shocks to armed, emotionally disturbed people.

The new rules also permit police to stun handcuffed or fleeing suspects in limited situations. But officers will still be barred from using stun guns to force a suspect to comply with orders.

Dow’s office says the new rules are meant to give officers “practical alternative to deadly force in appropriate situations.”

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