Stun gun

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The M-26-TASER in the non-civil version
The X-26-TASER with an arc between its two electrodes (without cartridge)

A stun gun , distance electroshock weapon or a distance-electric pulse device ( Deig ) (in Switzerland Destabilisierungsgerät ( DSG called)) is a pistol similar less deadly electroshock weapon , the two needle-like projectiles that are usually connected via insulated wires with the weapon in the The body of a target person shoots and thus subsequently transmits a series of electrical impulses, whereby the person hit is strongly or completely immobilized for the duration of the current flow.

Devices manufactured by Axon Enterprise (formerly TASER International) are called Tasers .

There are now models with wireless projectiles.

Idea and story

The name TASER is an acronym of the term T homas A. S wift's E lectric R IFLE from the youth book Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle by Victor Appleton (1911). There the idea is described to stun people with blue balls of electricity. The inventor Jack Cover , a later NASA scientist, had read this book as a child and began the development of the taser in the late 1960s, which was originally intended to ward off aircraft hijackers. The immediate reason for this was a newspaper report about an accident in which a man fell into a power line and was then motionless for a while.

The first use by law enforcement agencies similar to today's electric shock devices came in the 1960s in the form of electric drovers used by the American police against civil rights activists. However, like today's contact stun guns designed for humans, these could only be used to inflict pain on those affected.

In 1972 Cover applied for a patent for his Taser, initially as a firearm . In 1974 he built the first Taser under the name TASER TF-76, which could fire 2 projectiles up to 4.6 meters. In doing so, however, he stated that there was no guarantee of avoiding dangerous (consequential) injuries. The taser was considered a non-lethal device when used on an average healthy person. Since the propellant for the 2 projectiles was gunpowder, the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives ( ATF) classified the Taser as a firearm. The purchase of this taser for civilians was only possible with a special license. TASER Systems , the company that marketed the Taser, was dissolved and re-established under the name TASERTRON, with only a few devices sold mainly to the Los Angeles police force.

The brothers Tom and Rick Smith founded the company "TASER International" in 1993 with the aim of developing less lethal electric weapons. Jack Cover became the developer of future Taser devices at the invitation of the Smith brothers. Instead of gunpowder, however, devices with compressed air were developed. The Air TASER 3400 model followed. As a result, Tasers were not classified as firearms and could be sold to private individuals.

In 1999, the Taser M26 stun gun was developed, and more and more models followed.

Working principle

Distance mode

Taser X26 with an adjacent cartridge that fires two projectiles when attached
One of the two projectiles that were fired from a cartridge
Exercise with a stun gun in distance mode

In the distance mode, two barbed projectiles are fired from a cartridge , which remain connected to the cartridge via insulated wires, which in turn is connected to the pistol via highly conductive metal contacts, whereby electrical impulses from the weapon are transmitted into the body of the target person .

The propellant in the Axon Taser is compressed gas , which technically makes it a compressed air weapon . Models from Stinger and Tasertron , which have now been discontinued, used gunpowder as propellant and were therefore firearms .

The 2 projectiles are not fired in parallel. While one (usually the upper one) hits the target almost in a straight line, the other reaches the target at an angle of between 3.5 and 12 degrees downwards - depending on the model and manufacturer. This allows them to hit the body surface at a greater distance. Due to the barbs, similar to a fish hook, the projectiles get better stuck in the clothing or in the skin of the target person.

As long as electricity is flowing, in the ideal case the person affected is completely incapacitated in this mode and no longer able to control their own skeletal muscles at will.

In practice, the effect depends on various factors:

  • Where do the needle electrodes penetrate the body? Which nerves and muscles are in the current path? In principle, a current path that includes the heart region is to be regarded as dangerous. The torso must be hit for optimal effect .
  • How many muscles are involved / how big is the area of ​​the muscles that the current flows through?
  • What is the distance between the needles? The greater the distance, the greater the current path. The more motor nerves and muscles are affected, the greater the effect. Too little distance between the two electrodes only causes pain without immobilization.
  • Will the clothing puncture and the needle electrodes penetrate the body, or is the electric shock only transmitted to the body via a spark discharge?
  • How deep do the needle electrodes penetrate the skin? ( Body resistance )

Depending on the model, manufacturer and cartridge, the range is up to over 7 meters; clothing up to a thickness of 2.5 cm can be penetrated per electrode.

The number of shots a stun gun can fire in a row without reloading varies by manufacturer and model. You can only fire once per inserted cartridge. However, once an opponent has been hit, it can be electrified several times. All you have to do is pull the trigger as often as necessary. On some models, the used cartridge can be pulled forwards by pressing a button and replaced with a new one within a few seconds.

More modern models have the option of using two or more cartridges at the same time, which means that several shots can be fired in a row without manual reloading.

To increase the hit rate, stun guns are equipped either with a conventional sight or with one or two laser sights . In this mode, unlike pepper spray, they also work on people who are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs or who are pain-resistant.

Contact mode

No projectiles are fired here. The stun gun can only be used as an ordinary contact stun gun to inflict pain in body contact with the target person , and thus aims only at compliance to avoid pain and not at inability to move as in distance mode. The opponent receives an electric shock via the electrodes on the pistol if no cartridge has been inserted. Depending on the manufacturer and model, it is also possible to deliver electric shocks via specially provided metal contacts on the inserted cartridges (without firing a shot).

Manufacturers and designs

Raysun X-1: a stun gun from another manufacturer

The name Taser is a protected term ( registered trademark ) by the US company Axon Enterprise (original company name: "TASER International", prior to the change since April 2017 ) and therefore refers exclusively to the devices they produce. Ranged stun guns in general are produced and sold worldwide by a number of other manufacturers.

Sometimes distanceless devices (contact stun guns) that are only designed for direct body contact are incorrectly referred to as "tasers". An exception to the naming is the flashlight produced by Axon, which was only produced for the contact mode and is also called Taser with the addition Strikelight - i.e. "Taser Strikelight" due to the earlier manufacturer name.

The best-known earlier Axon competitors for distance electro-pulse devices were the companies Tasertron and Stinger , which, however, no longer exist. Simpler models disguised as flashlights have been in use since the 1970s.

In the case of electric shock guns with cables, the electrical impulses are transmitted in distance mode via insulated wires of various lengths that, depending on the manufacturer and model, allow the 4.5 m, 6.4 m, 7.6 m and 10.6 m distance with cartridges.

The police models are mostly (depending on the country) the single-shot Taser X26P and the newer Taser X2 (available in black and yellow), which can fire projectiles from two cartridges one behind the other and has an even lower risk of triggering ventricular fibrillation. The TASER X26E originally used in Austria has been exchanged for the more secure Taser X2 since April 2017. There are 4 types of cartridges available for this model, which differ in terms of their use (training cartridge or simulator) and the maximum range (either 4.5 meters or 7.6 meters).

In 2018 the company presented the TASER 7, a weapon with rechargeable batteries and innovative projectiles. The weapon is distributed in the US, Australia and New Zealand.

In the meantime there is again competition from other distance electrical pulse devices from other manufacturers. The US company Digital Ally patented a wireless model, which is followed by the development of a prototype. A wireless stun gun has already been developed in Turkey under the name "Wattozz".

Another stun gun "Magen", developed by an Israeli company, allows the introduction of a five-shot magazine, in which the used cartridge is ejected at the push of a button after the shot has been fired and is automatically replaced by a new one. This functionality corresponds to a semi-automatic pistol.

effect

The effect of this electro - impulse weapon is based primarily on the direct electrical stimulation of type A-α motor neurons, which directs impulses directly to motor synapses and induces tonic muscle contractions. It comes to superimposition with the body's own excitation conduction.

By using arrow-shaped projectiles in the distance mode, organs such as eyes or arteries located close to the body surface can be injured independently of the electrical impulses . Furthermore, wounds can occur when removing the barbs.

In addition, there is the risk of "secondary fall injuries ", such as in minor cases skin abrasions , bruises , lacerations and bruises , but also broken bones up to severe head and brain trauma .

A study by CBC has shown that 4 of 41 weapons used delivered a significantly higher current than the manufacturer stated. Instead of the stated average 3.3 milliamps, they delivered up to 5 milliamps.

Legal framework

Germany

Tasers were allowed to be purchased in Germany before April 1, 2008 from the age of 18 , but a (large) gun license was required to carry these guns (with cartridge) . Since April 1, 2008, distance electrical pulse devices have been subject to the prohibition provisions of Appendix 2, Section 1, No. 1.3.6. WaffG , whereby any handling (acquisition, possession, carrying) is prohibited. According to the Weapons Act, an exemption from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) is required for the acquisition, possession and handling of forbidden weapons , but this is only granted very restrictively. For authorities, a decree of the respective interior ministry for the state police or the BMI for the federal police is required.

Austria

In Austria, contact stun guns ( known as distance-less devices in Germany ) are freely available for sale from the age of 18 without a gun possession card. There is no special regulation for leading. In any case, camouflaged stun guns, which simulate another object or which are disguised with objects of daily use, are prohibited. Tasers, distance electro-pulse devices from Axon, with cartridges are subject to weapon category C, which means that private individuals can legally acquire and own the weapon , but carrying the weapon loaded with the cartridge outside of residential or operating rooms or fenced-in properties within Austria requires a valid weapon passport .

Switzerland

In Switzerland, according to Article 4, Paragraph 1 of the Weapons Act, private individuals are prohibited from transferring, acquiring, brokering and bringing electric shock devices "which can impair people's resistance or permanently damage their health". However, according to Article 2 of this Act, this restriction does not apply to the army, the federal intelligence service, the customs and police authorities, and also not to the military administration. When purchasing for private individuals, a valid “large” special permit is required, which can be issued by the weapons office within the canton of residence, although this is usually very restrictive.

According to Article 9, the Federal Police Force Ordinance allows the use of distance electro-pulse devices against persons who have committed - or are suspected of - or are attempting to commit a serious crime under Article 11. A serious criminal offense in this context refers to a "serious impairment of life and limb, freedom, sexual integrity or public safety". Military police organs - who use non-military force against enemy military personnel and troop units or who maintain air sovereignty - are also authorized to use non-lethal destabilization devices after completing special training for police coercive measures. The regulation for this can be found in the Ordinance on the Police Powers of the Army, Article 4.

use

The weapons are intended to be used to incapacitate attackers, rioters, fleeing or suicide threats primarily through loss of control over the skeletal muscles and secondarily possibly through pain. Since their effect in distance mode does not depend on the sensation of pain and its reaction to it, distance electro-pulse devices are also mostly suitable against people who are under the influence of (psychoactive) medication, alcohol or other drugs.

When using a non-lethal weapon , physical damage to the person concerned should be kept to a minimum. With some models there is the possibility of a warning arc (corresponds to the contact mode) along the pistol (with cartridge), whereby the weapon can have a deterrent and de-escalating effect without being used against a person's body. Overall, distance electro-pulse devices represent an escalation level among the actual firearms with a lower risk of death, but at the same time a usually more effective and more secure inability to act without time delay compared to pepper spray . This makes the weapon more suitable for the self-defense of law enforcement officers , especially against attackers with cutting and stabbing weapons (at a safety distance of 7 meters), where defense or even disarming with pepper spray and baton is no longer possible without serious personal risk. Due to the fact that long-range electro-pulse devices without manual replacement of the cartridge usually only fire two or sometimes only one shot in a row and movable, dynamic targets can be missed and, moreover, the range and penetration of the projectiles cannot match those of sharp (deadly) firearms, However, the use of firearms cannot always be ruled out, especially in cases with cutting and stabbing weapons.

Europe

Stun guns are currently used almost exclusively by specially trained police forces and prison guards.

Germany

In Germany, the Conference of Interior Ministers in 2001 recommended the introduction of stun guns on a trial basis for the special police forces. In 2018, 13 of the 16 state police forces implemented this recommendation and purchased appropriate equipment for their special forces. Stun guns are now also available to police forces outside these units. In Hesse, for example, after a pilot project rated positively by the Ministry of the Interior, it was decided to equip the state's seven police headquarters with five stun guns each, so that the Hessian patrol service has a total of 35 devices available. From 2020, the Saarland police will also have 100 stun guns available. The police inspections in Rhineland-Palatinate are also to be equipped accordingly by 2021. Pilot projects to equip with fibers are also being carried out in Bavaria, Berlin, Bremen, Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, among others. The Federal Police has so far lacked a legal basis for its use. The three German police unions the police union , German Police Union and Association of German Detective favor of equipping the police law enforcement officers with tasers. The Federation of Correctional Agents also called on the employees in correctional facilities to be equipped with distance electric pulse devices. Tasers are neither used in training nor in combat missions within the Bundeswehr . However, according to the Federal Government, the Bundeswehr has some devices and is researching how they work.

In some cases, tasers are currently only allowed to be used in accordance with the regulations on the use of firearms, for example in Berlin.

Situation in the countries and testing

Stun guns are currently being used on a larger scale for the police authorities in Hesse , Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland . The state of Hesse had initially tested the use of the so-called Taser for more than a year in Frankfurt and Offenbach until the summer of 2018 . According to the Interior Ministry, the devices were used a total of eleven times during this period and their use was threatened twelve times. Apart from one case, there were "no serious injuries". In the said case, the person concerned suffered a head injury from a fall. The Hessian Interior Minister Peter Beuth assessed the results of the test phase as positive overall. The taser can save lives and is the "milder version of the firearm". The Hessian police now have a total of 35 distance electrical pulse devices, five per police headquarters.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, too, the police decided after a test phase to equip them with tasers. The distance electro pulse devices had been tested there for a year in Trier . According to the Ministry of the Interior, the devices were used in 30 situations, with the threat of use being sufficient in 21 cases. In six cases the tasers were actually shot down, four people were hit. During a subsequent medical assessment of the people affected, according to the ministry, "in no case (...) could any medical abnormalities be found". By 2021, all 72 police stations in Rhineland-Palatinate are to be equipped with the distance electric pulse devices. According to its own information, Rhineland-Palatinate is the first federal state to introduce Taser on patrol duty. The Rhineland-Palatinate police are prohibited from using the weapon against children and pregnant women.

In Berlin , the weapon has been used by the Special Operations Command (SEK) since August 2001 , and the officers are said to have tried it on their own beforehand. In February 2017, a three-year pilot project was started in which 20 officials are supposed to test the electrical pulse devices in action. In May 2019, it became known that the relevant officers had used the devices a total of three times by then: once to incapacitate an attacker armed with a knife and twice to prevent a suicide . In addition, the use of the weapon was threatened 15 times. Apart from small wounds from the taser arrows, the three people hit did not suffer any relevant injuries.

The two special operations units of the Bavarian police have been equipped with the devices since 2006. By 2015, 32 people in Bavaria had been shot at with stun guns. In May 2018, a pilot project started to examine the equipment with the weapons for the support command and the operational supplementary services . For this purpose, 37 electrical pulse devices were purchased and 500 police officers were trained in their use.

In Bremen , Tasers are used by the special forces Mobiles Einsatzkommando (MEK) and SEK. In October 2018, a one-year pilot project was also started to examine an expansion of the equipment. For this purpose, the Bremerhaven local police were equipped with three tasers. A year later, the police announced that they had threatened to use the taser 20 times and actually used it five times. Most of the time, the threat was enough to de-escalate the situation. The five people hit had no significant injuries or subsequent complaints. The project was extended by one year to collect additional data.

In Hamburg , distance electro pulse devices have been used by MEK officials since 2015.

Tasers have been tested by the SEK in Saarland since 2010. A pilot project to test the devices for patrol duty began on May 6, 2019. For this purpose, twelve distance electro-pulse devices were purchased and working groups were formed to train 120 police officers. The devices were tested for six months in a trial phase. Their deployment was threatened ten times, four times this actually happened. The Saarland Minister of the Interior, Klaus Bouillon, assessed the test phase as positive, and the threat of deployment is often enough to defuse a situation. From 2020, 100 devices should therefore also be available to the police of the Saarland.

From January 2021, the North Rhine-Westphalia police will test Taser for a year in Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Gelsenkirchen and in the Rhein-Erft district.

Switzerland

The X-26-TASER (older model from Axon) in the police version

On July 26, 2003 - on the recommendation of the Swiss Police Technical Commission (SPTK) - the Swiss Federal Office of Police (fedpol) decided to use the Advanced Taser M26 and TASER X-26 EMD ( EMD stands for "electro-muscular disruption") approved by the police authorities in several cantons.

Since the "Federal Act on the Application of Police Coercion and Police Measures in the Area of ​​Responsibility of the Federal Government (Zwangsanwendungsgesetz, ZAG)" came into effect in January 2009, "non-lethal destabilization devices" may be used by the police nationwide.

The stun gun is purchased autonomously by the various police forces, so an overview is not very easy. In addition, there is no nationwide anti-terrorist unit in Switzerland.

Among the special units are the “Argus” of the Aargau canton police , a few members of the LUCHS Schwyz special unit and the Groupe d'intervention in Geneva and the intervention unit in Neuchâtel (which uses the Taser X2).

Since too much time could pass before special forces arrive in an emergency, patrol services are increasingly being equipped with stun guns.

In Basel , only officers from the special unit Basilisk were previously allowed to wear tasers, 90 regular police officers are equipped with such devices.

Outside of special forces, tasers are currently used in Lucerne by the security and traffic police. The Zurich canton police stock the newer Taser X2 models, as does the St. Gallen canton police which, however, still have a few older models (Taser X26 and X26P).

In 2018, a total of 125 cases were recorded in which a taser was pulled, 45 times it had to be actually used, with almost two thirds of the people being under the influence of alcohol and / or other drugs.

A deployment by the military may only be carried out by military personnel and members of the military security as well as by other members of the army who are specially trained for this.

Austria

police

In June 2006 the first 20 TASER X26s were introduced to the Federal Police in Upper Austria on a trial basis . In the meantime, tasers are also used by police officers in all other federal states, as well as by the Cobra commando and the WEGA special unit . The first use of a taser by a police officer took place in July 2006 against a professional burglar on the run in Linz . This was hit from around two meters away, but he picked himself up again after a few seconds and was ultimately only overpowered after a second shot.

The use of the taser takes place in accordance with the provisions of the Weapons Use Act , it counts according to § 3 Z. 2 WaffGG as a "stimulating service weapon". This may only be used to make people incapable of attack, resistance and flight, and when safe or less dangerous measures are not possible. If various weapons are available to officials for use, only the least dangerous may be used against people.

In a life-threatening situation, the same regulations apply according to the life-threatening use of weapons §§ 7 to 8 WaffGG.

After a taser operation, the officers are obliged to notify an ambulance (if not already on site) and have the victim examined by a doctor. A doctor will then decide whether or not the person needs to be taken to hospital for further treatment. The arrow electrodes may only be removed from the victim's body by a doctor, police officers limit themselves to disconnecting the cables so that there is no longer any connection between the taser and the electrodes.

Between June 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016, the taser was used by the police almost 200 times against people and eight times against dogs, according to the Interior Ministry, with no deaths recorded. The use is limited to the following specially trained officers:

Within the Federal Police, the new TASER X2 model completely replaced the older TASER X26 model.

Justice Guard
An Axon Taser X2 (2017)

At the judicial station, however, the taser has been used in prisons since November 2004 . It was introduced after a rioting inmate at Stein Prison could only be overpowered with the help of 15 officers and eleven officers were injured in the process. The use of batons and pepper spray had proven ineffective. In February 2008, the use of the taser was banned due to a UN report against torture , but was allowed again in June 2009 by Justice Minister Claudia Bandion-Ortner subject to conditions.

Only when all other means of breaking a prisoner's resistance (e.g. physical strength, baton, pepper spray) have proven to be ineffective, the taser may be considered. First the medical data of the inmate are checked, then medical officers, nursing staff and doctors must still be present to examine the inmate who was hit later and, if necessary, treat them. The taser itself may only be used by specially trained personnel (e.g. members of the task force, weapons control center and members of an international rendition unit) and only on the orders of the head of the facility. Before using the taser, the prisoner must be expressly announced. If the inmate does not comply with this last task request, the following Taser operation must be recorded with erasure-proof video and audio devices. A comprehensive report is then drawn up, which is carefully examined by the service authority.

The Taser was used twelve times in prisons between November 2004 and February 2008, and no one suffered permanent damage. In seven other cases, the mere threat of using a taser was enough to get a person to give up.

From 2013 to 2014 there was one mission within each of the 27 prisons.

By the end of 2018, the justice guard received 122 new Taser X2 models, which have a significantly lower risk of ventricular fibrillation compared to previous models.

Police officer with taser in England

England and Wales

In November 2008 it was announced that the UK Home Office had ordered 10,000 Tasers. Around 30,000 police officers are to be trained in the use of the weapon. Alan Campbell, who is responsible for the fight against crime in the UK Home Office, said the risk of the weapons was low.

In 2018 and 2019, 23,500 incidents involving tasers were reported, in around 11% of the cases the weapons were also fired. In the summer of 2020, the more powerful Axon "Taser 7" was approved for use by the police in the United Kingdom, although in tests it showed a significantly poorer accuracy than the predecessor X2 and X26.

America

United States

Between 2000 and 2013, the number of law enforcement agencies using tasers increased from 500 to approximately 17,000.

Today the taser is a staple of the police force in the United States .

criticism

General criticism

Critics such as Amnesty International fear a lowering of the threshold for use due to the apparent harmlessness of the weapon and refer to corresponding cases in the USA as evidence.

Because stun guns cause pain to the victim during use and cause comparatively little (permanent) physical damage, they are particularly suitable for torturing a victim without the victim being able to prove it easily (via physical damage) ( white torture ). For example, they can be used to inadequately enforce the authority of police officers against civilians . As an example, cases from the USA were cited in which tasers were used as part of a normal vehicle inspection . In a video documented case, a woman during a vehicle inspection refused to extinguish her cigarette, end a phone call and get out of the car, whereupon police officers used the taser on her several times, even when she was already on the ground. The likelihood that such a procedure will be successfully prosecuted is accordingly low. For this reason, the inclination of those in possession of such an electric shock weapon to use it without need is high. In order to counter this allegation, modern stun guns used by the authorities have devices intended to identify the user, for example in the form of confetti with a serial number that is fired with the projectiles, or of video cameras that are activated when the weapon is released. Furthermore, operational parameters can be read out via a computer interface of the weapon.

The UN Committee against Torture , the compliance with the United Nations Convention against Torture of the United Nations monitors, brought in November 2007 in a press release on the report by the Portuguese government on the national implementation of the Convention its concern over the fact that the use of the model Taser X- 26 is a form of torture . Electric shock weapons are also ideal for torture, which opens the door to abuse. A shock is uncomfortable and painful, but can hardly be proven in retrospect if there is no permanent damage or bullet wounds from the arrow electrodes or burns to the skin in their place.

The police sociologist Rafael Behr pointed out in 2019 that the taser is used in everyday police operations if it is available in the arsenal: “If I have the means to take action against people, I will use them too. The instinct to de-escalate social situations, including violent situations, would disappear if there were an arsenal of possible uses that could, for example, be used "faster".

Deadly effect

The following statements refer exclusively to distance electro pulse devices manufactured by Axon:

The statements about the lethal or non-lethal effect of the taser are contradictory. So called Taser International their product as " non-lethal weapon ". According to a 2008 study by Amnesty International, 331 people have died during or after the use of the weapon in the US alone since 2001 , with forensic medical reports showing the use of the weapon as part of the cause or cause of death in around 40 cases. A medical study that related injuries to the number of taser deployments found that out of a sample of around 1,000 taser deployments in the United States between 2005 and 2007, only three people were actually hospitalized. The use of taser could just as seldom be ruled out with certainty as a direct cause of death, as could it be proven. After incidents resulting in death, in most cases no detailed forensic examinations but rather statistical evaluations were carried out. Correct the stun gun is so rather than "less lethal weapon" (less lethal weapon) to be classified, and Stinger Systems marked the former competitor with both formulations.

According to the newspaper "Arizona Republic" between 1999 and 2005 167 people died in the USA and Canada after being attacked with a taser weapon. In 27 cases, coroners had stated that the taser was a cause of death, contributed to death or could not be ruled out as a cause of death.

Indirectly

A research article by the Reuters news agency came to a number of at least 1,081 people in the USA who did not survive a taser mission, since the beginning of 2000. Often, however, the taser was not used as the sole means of defense, but with other less- deadly weapons such as pepper spray or physical force such as blows or restraint combined. Some restraint techniques used during arrest have a higher risk of death, such as those that involve bringing the person face down to the floor and handcuffing the neck while applying pressure to the torso, shoulder and neck . Excessive pressure on the neck, especially on the jaw, can impair nervous control of the heart, causing the heart to slow down or even cause cardiac arrest. The use of pepper spray irritates the airways and can be life-threatening, for example in asthmatics. Since the diaphragm is often also affected with a taser, a combined use of taser, pepper spray and physical strength means that several factors act at the same time, which means that it is not always possible to make a precise statement about the potentially fatal effects of the taser itself.

In addition, the uncontrolled fall - which is caused by the cramping of the entire skeletal musculature - can lead to so-called secondary fall injuries and thus trigger a craniocerebral trauma through the impact of the head on hard ground with fatal outcome.

In 2018, at least 49 people were killed in a taser operation.

Directly

Ideally, only the skeletal muscles of the person against whom the taser is used are affected and other types of muscles such as smooth muscles and especially the heart remain completely unaffected, even if they are in the current path. Any cardiac arrhythmia or even fatal ventricular fibrillation triggered by the taser should be completely excluded.

The verification of this assumption is not always meaningful, however, since only healthy volunteers with only brief exposure and without possible risk factors (such as those with existing heart diseases) took part in some studies on humans. In addition, there is general criticism that studies were (co-) financed by Axon and therefore may not always be neutral (enough). Results from animal experiments only permit limited conclusions to be drawn about humans.

However, a study came to the result that hits with the electrodes of the Taser X26 in the chest area due to ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation can lead to cardiac arrest, which is why Axon recommends avoiding this zone if possible.

Supporters of the taser believe that the use of tasers can in many cases avoid the use of firearms. For this reason, statistics on use must also be assessed against the background of the damage to life and limb avoided. However, data on this can only be estimated.

protection

Protection against an electric shock weapon is provided by wearing a vest made of material with high conductivity (e.g. aluminum ). Even if the needles penetrate the vest, the metal will cause an electrical short circuit between the two electrodes. A specially made protective vest under the name ThorShield is only available for the law enforcement service and the military.

Some manufacturers also produce ballistic protective vests , which not only offer protection against stabbing weapons and projectiles from firearms , but are also designed to render the taser ineffective if both projectiles hit the vest, such as vests from the PPSS Group.

A vest does not offer any protection if the wearer is hit at a point not covered by the vest (for example on the face or hands).

literature

  • Michael D. White, Justin Ready: The Taser as a Less Lethal Force Alternative: Findings on Use and Effectiveness in a Large Metropolitan Police Agency. In: Police Quarterly. 2007.

Web links

Commons : Stun Gun  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Anthony Carli: What's the Difference Between TASER Devices and Stun Guns? Retrieved February 6, 2019 (American English).
  2. ↑ Turkey challenges the USA with an electric shock weapon "Wattozz" | TRT German. Accessed December 6, 2018 (German).
  3. ^ Sarah Stone-Today I. Found Out: How the Taser Was Invented. Retrieved August 8, 2019 (American English).
  4. ^ Howard E. Williams: Taser Electronic Control Devices and Sudden In-custody Death: Separating Evidence from Conjecture . Charles C Thomas Publisher, 2008, ISBN 978-0-398-08502-5 ( google.at [accessed August 8, 2019]).
  5. ↑ About Rick Smith | The End of Killing. In: Rick Smith. Retrieved August 8, 2019 (American English).
  6. ^ N. Davison: 'Non-Lethal' Weapons . Springer, 2009, ISBN 978-0-230-23398-0 ( google.at [accessed on August 8, 2019]).
  7. ^ Aiming and probe placement. Retrieved August 4, 2019 (American English).
  8. ↑ TASER 7 Cartridge Characteristics. Retrieved August 4, 2019 (American English).
  9. ↑ Anthony Carli: How TASER devices can cause incapacitation. Retrieved August 4, 2019 (American English).
  10. ↑ Distance - electric pulse device (DEIG). (PDF) Berlin Police Union, accessed on December 2, 2018 .
  11. ↑ a b c d How dangerous are tasers? Die Zeit, May 14, 2019, accessed on June 22, 2019 .
  12. ↑ Drive-Stun Backup. Retrieved July 4, 2019 (American English).
  13. ↑ Drive-stun backup. Retrieved July 4, 2019 (American English).
  14. ↑ Why Taser's only rival gave up electroshock for lemonade. January 31, 2014, archived from the original on April 9, 2017 ; Retrieved April 10, 2017 .
  15. ↑ Mark W. Kroll, Jeffrey D. Ho: TASER® Conducted Electrical Weapons: Physiology, Pathology, and Law . Springer Science & Business Media, 2009, ISBN 978-0-387-85475-5 ( google.at [accessed on August 8, 2019]).
  16. ↑ r Use of the electro pulse weapon as a service weapon by the police. (PDF) Retrieved December 23, 2018 .
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