Too many cops today are way too scared to use sufficient force early enough; they've had too many hours of liability training taught by people who don't seem to understand that prolonging a fight increases the chances and likely severity of injuries. Like I told one kid last night (he was warning me that he wasn't going to fight me...) -- I'll win, and it'll be quick, messy, and painful.
Cops are permitted to use strikes -- but strikes are often at odds with the end goal of police combatives, namely a subdued, cuffed person. Strikes also carry a higher risk of injury to the cop with a lesser likelihood of advancing towards that control goal. That said -- I'll use strikes to open up options for other controls.
Actually, the hit from a Taser is over after 5 seconds, and most people can get right up. Maybe a little wobbly like right after you get off of a roller coaster. All things being equal -- I'll ride the lightning any day over a right cross or even pepper spray.
That's what so many people who question use of force don't get. Real fighting is ugly. There's no two ways about it. People are conditioned by TV and movies that fights'll be pretty, Walker pulls out his patented spinning hook kick, and the bad guy goes down without serious injury, etc. It just ain't that way in the real world -- anymore than a sparring match looks like someone doing a form on someone. When you add concerns about liability and not doing unnecessary injury, it just gets harder and uglier.
