Would A Gun Have Been Used?

If the officer hadn't had a taser, would a gun have been used in this incident?

A Kelso officer used a Taser to help capture a fleeing shoplifting suspect in the food court of the Three Rivers Mall on Tuesday morning, police reported.

Dwight Mark Thornell, 30, Skamokawa, was arrested on suspicion of theft and resisting arrest, according to police. A Target employee reported Thornell had been seen on surveillance videos stealing stereos on two other occasions, and he was in the store Tuesday morning, according to police.

A Kelso police officer was speaking with a woman in Thornell’s car outside Target when Thornell came outside and fled when he saw the officer, according to police. The Kelso officer chased him through the mall and shot him in the back with his Taser, according to police.

If the answer's no, let's please put the "tasers replace guns" meme to rest.