The PSNI chief constable is expected to proceed with a pilot scheme for tasers, a controversial electronic stun gun, despite opposition from the policing board.
Sir Hugh Orde told board members yesterday that he had a duty to protect his officers facing dangerous situations and that he wanted to proceed with testing the weapon.
Conceding it was a potentially dangerous device, Sir Hugh told the board that tasers were still less lethal than a firearm.
Board members have pressed the chief constable not to proceed with procurement of the stun guns pending full impact assessment by a range of independent bodies. They also said that tasers had been used to lethal effect in North America.
However, Sir Hugh said that, while he understood their fears, he had a duty of care to his officers. He admitted he "had sleepless nights about officers using firearms when they could have a less lethal option available to them".
Attempting to ease the fears of some board members, Sir Hugh said the tasers would not be stocked locally with police officers across Northern Ireland and would only be provided to specialist officers fully trained in the use of the weapon.
He also denied there would be "creeping" deployment and said they would only be issued subject to a series of the most stringent safeguards. He also denied that anyone had been killed due to their use anywhere in Britain to date, despite being deployed in some 300 occasions.
"If by using a taser we don't have to use a gun, I think that is an argument that is extremely persuasive," he said.
Al Hutchinson, the new Police Ombudsman, will also investigate any future use of the stun gun by officers.
However, Sinn Féin board member Martina Anderson accused Sir Hugh of "not listening" to either the views of the board or the concerns of a range of outside bodies concerned at the human rights implications of the deployment.
Encouraging him to delay any pilot scheme, she said it was a question of "only a matter of weeks" before an impact assessment would be available. An impact assessment is expected in March.
She was backed in this by party colleague Alex Maskey, who said the board would reach a view on tasers once it was in possession of the impact assessment.
In his remarks to the board chairman, Sir Desmond Rea said: "This board has not reached a view on the use of tasers. It will do so as and when the equality impact assessment is complete.
"Its view is that the decision should be left until that is completed, but the chief constable has made his decision in terms of his operational responsibility."
Sir Hugh is due to announce formally his decision to proceed with deployment later this month.