What Does "Drive-Stun" Mean? Taser Modes Explained for Bodycam Viewers

If you watch enough taser bodycam footage, you'll hear officers use a phrase that isn't obvious to most viewers: drive-stun. In our Marion, Illinois video, an officer explains afterward, "I drive stunned him twice. Then I tased him." To him those were clearly two different things. This explainer covers what that means in plain, general terms.

This is a non-technical overview for viewers, not a training or medical resource. Device models, agency policies and state laws differ.

First, what is a "taser"?

"Taser" is a brand name that's become a common word for conducted energy devices (CEDs), also called conducted electrical weapons. They deliver electrical current meant to temporarily stop or control a person. Most current police models can be used in two broad ways: by firing probes, or in drive-stun mode.

Probe mode: firing the darts

In probe mode, the officer pulls the trigger and a cartridge fires two small barbed probes attached to thin wires. When both probes connect with the body and are far enough apart, the current travels between them and can cause neuromuscular incapacitation, a temporary loss of muscle control. This is why people often fall or stiffen when probes connect well.

A few things commonly go wrong, and you'll see them in bodycam footage:

• A probe misses, so the circuit isn't completed.
• Thick or loose clothing keeps a probe from making good contact.
• The probes land too close together, which limits the effect.
• The person pulls out a probe or breaks a wire.

After an incident, officers often account for the probes. In the Marion footage, someone says, "Both barbs are accounted for," and another person warns, "Don't touch the barbs."

Drive-stun mode: direct contact

In drive-stun mode, the officer presses the front of the device directly against the person's body and activates it. It may be used with the cartridge removed, or after a cartridge has already been fired.

Drive-stun is generally described as delivering localized pain at the contact point rather than full-body muscle lockup, because the current doesn't spread between two widely separated probes. That's why it's often described as a pain compliance technique, meant to get someone to comply with a command like "Give me your hands" or "Turn over."

Some officers also use drive-stun to complete a circuit when only one probe has connected, by pressing the device to a different part of the body. Policies on when and how drive-stun may be used vary by agency, and some departments restrict it.

Why the distinction matters when you watch footage

Knowing the two modes helps you make sense of what you're seeing and hearing:

1. A visible reaction depends on the mode. A drive-stun may cause a flinch or a yell without the person going rigid. A good probe hit often looks very different.
2. Officers' words tell you which mode was used. Statements like "I drive stunned him twice" or "probes are in" are often the clearest clue, because the camera may not show the contact point.
3. Repeated cycles are common in struggles. You'll often hear about more than one cycle, as in the Marion video, where an officer says, "I already tased him twice."
4. Device control is a safety issue. In that same video, an officer says the man "grabbed my taser" and "pulled [it] out of my hand," and officers then search for it. A weapon getting loose in a struggle is one reason these moments are so tense.

Announcing the taser

Viewers often notice officers shouting "Taser, taser, taser!" just before deployment. Many agencies train officers to announce it so other officers know what's happening, to give the person a last warning, and so the recording captures it. You can hear that announcement at around the 4:37 mark of the Marion footage and in the Short He Thought He Could Stay, Then This Happened.

How use of force is judged, in general

Whether any use of force, including a taser, was appropriate is a legal and policy question that depends on the facts. U.S. courts generally analyze police use of force under the "objective reasonableness" standard from the Supreme Court's decision in Graham v. Connor (1989). That standard looks at the situation from the view of a reasonable officer on the scene, considering factors like how serious the suspected offense was, whether the person posed an immediate threat, and whether they were actively resisting or trying to get away. Agency policies are often stricter than that legal floor.

The U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice publishes research on policing technology, including research on body-worn cameras, if you'd like to read further.

Watch with context

Taser moments are some of the most-viewed clips in police bodycam footage, and they're also among the easiest to misread. Before deciding what a deployment "proves," read our guide on how to watch bodycam footage critically. Remember that everyone shown is presumed innocent.

More videos with taser use and struggles are in our full video library, including This Is What Happens When You Fight The Cops.