The city of Charlotte voted Monday to spend $1.83 million on new Tasers that police say have important safety features designed to prevent officers from possibly seriously injuring or killing suspects.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department chief Rodney Monroe two months ago suspended the use of Tasers following the death of a suspect who was stunned by police at a light-rail station.

But Monroe believes Tasers are an important tool, and council members unanimously voted to buy 1,600 of a new model, the Taser X2, from Arizona-based Taser International.

Monroe told council members Monday night a safeguard that puts a five-second limit on each electric charge will make the new Tasers safer.

"That five-second limit is critical," he said. "No matter how long the officer may hold the trigger down, five seconds is as long as it will cycle itself."

In 2008, 17-year-old Darryl Wayne Turner died after a CMPD officer shocked him with a Taser. Police said the officer violated policy when he shocked Turner with his Taser for about 37 seconds. The officer held the trigger until Turner fell to the floor, according to police.

A federal jury awarded $10 million to Turner's family from Taser International, which has appealed. Although the city of Charlotte denied wrongdoing, it paid $625,000 to Turner's family in 2009.

Another safety feature of the new Taser is that an officer can trigger a visible and audible warning with the Taser, according to Monroe.

"That pre-warning stops so many people," Monroe said.

There has long been controversy over the use of Tasers.

Stun guns, which can discharge 50,000 volts to temporarily incapacitate suspects, have been linked to hundreds of deaths across the country, but supporters say the weapons reduce the likelihood of injury to suspects.

CMPD policy says the devices are not intended as a substitute for other nonlethal force options, but that they should be used "to restrain violent individuals where alternative restraint tactics fail or are reasonably likely to fail."

Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon, a Democrat, asked Monroe whether CMPD needed to improve training.

Monroe said the department's training is "right on target." He said CMPD could enact a policy that's more restrictive, "but I don't think we have any issue with training."

The city first used Tasers in January 2004, and has used them 760 times. CMPD said each incident is investigated.

Other council members asked whether officers would be safe if the new Tasers would only emit a five-second charge. Monroe said they would be OK because the X2 Tasers could fire again quickly once an officer pulled the trigger again.

CMPD officers on July 20 responded to a report of a man beating and choking a woman at the Woodlawn Lynx light-rail station along Old Pineville Road. The suspect was identified as Lareko Williams.

Officer Michael Forbes was the first officer to respond. He fired his department-issued X26 Taser just as Williams was about to strike the woman again, Monroe said at the time.

The officer soon realized Williams was unresponsive and called for help, police said. Williams was pronounced dead about an hour later.

The next day, the department suspended its use of the Tasers for 30 to 45 days.

Williams' death came only a day after a federal jury awarded $10 million to the family of Turner, who died in 2008 after a CMPD officer shocked him with a Taser.

At Monday's meeting, members of Williams' family watched as council members approved the new Taser purchase.

Attorney Charles Everagde, who is representing the family, said the vote to buy new Tasers was "premature" because there are still unanswered questions about Williams' death. He said the decision to no longer use the X26 Tasers that shocked Williams "doesn't bring anyone back to life."

He said the family hasn't decided whether to file a lawsuit and is still investigating.

Information submitted to council members before Monday's vote said CMPD has conducted an internal review of its Taser training.

Most of the money for the new Tasers would come from the city's general fund. The rest - $400,000 - would come from an "asset forfeiture" account.

Monroe said the city is getting a cheaper price for the new Tasers because it is trading in the old model. The trade-in allowance for the X26 Tasers is $700,000, according to CMPD.