The Taser: A Less Lethal Alternative

With all of the hype in the news about tasers, I thought it would be a good idea to explain what exactly a taser is.

The Taser (Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle) administers an electric charge that causes muscular dysfunction and temporarily incapacitates a suspect. An officer can fire two darts from the pistol-like weapon, causing 50,000 volts of electric current to pass into the subject’s body. (18) The darts can reach from 15 to 21 feet. Early studies indicated that this weapon’s effectiveness ranged from 50 to 85 percent. (19) However, significant improvements in design appear to have increased the weapon’s effectiveness significantly because it does not rely on the conventional pain compliance approach of police tactics. (20) Currently, several models of the Taser with varying power levels exist in the law enforcement marketplace. (Link)

I am not arguing whether tasers are good or bad in this post. I simply want to explain what a taser does.

• Neuro-Muscular Incapacitation - This is what drops you to the floor, and temporarily prevents your muscles from working
• A taser usually sends 19 pulses per second into your body
• They are designed to make you hit the floor, and stay there. The “needles” that are shot out at you are designed to break through clothing and stick into your skin
• They have nifty cartridges and portable power supplies for easy use and reloading

• Newer models contain a USB interface. The interface notes when the device was used, and for how long.

If I can come to any conclusion about a taser, it is that if a police office is pointing one at me, I will not turn away. They are dangerous, and I hope I am never in the situation where I can be hit with one of these.