Stun Guns Blamed For Deaths But Usage Continues Increasing

Amnesty International and other watchdog agencies busy themselves compiling death statistics where stun guns are involved or possibly implicated. Private citizens who are incensed by the perceived (or real) mistreatment of unruly suspects or criminals continue to raise sand when someone dies during attempts to quell disturbances or take a combatant into custody.

For those private citizens and watchdog agencies who oppose providing stun guns to law enforcement and other security professionals, it’s time to take a look at some alternatives. While there is no easy or effective way to prevent misuse of equipment – any kind of equipment – take a moment to look at the alternatives.

Firearms are classified as deadly force for several really good reasons; mainly because death often ensues following their use.

The use of billy clubs, batons, “brass knuckles.” and other old-school weapons virtually always result in broken bones, bruises or internal damage. In short: a bloody mess. A simple baseball bat or chain can do some very serious damage to the human body when applied with just about any degree of force.

Stun guns, on the other hand, cause temporary discomfort – severe discomfort – which prods some folks to comply with police directives. With the more advanced versions, like TASERs, leading edge technology makes it possible to interfere with the ability to control skeletal muscles. That means the target falls down and requires a bit of recovery time, which provides a window of opportunity for escape or to take him/her into custody – without damaging the body.

All in all, stun guns do far less damage than knives or clubs in terms of intermediate force than most other options.