Non Lethal Weapons Used by Police

Enforcing the law while protecting civil liberties is a complicated, demanding job that police must face on a daily basis. As such, police have developed an arsenal of effective yet non-lethal weapons at their disposal.

Baton (Standard Issue)

Also known as a "nightstick," batons are sticks made from aluminum, wood or dense plastics used for striking, choking, joint locks and defense against melee weapons. Batons come in many designs, from the classic straight rod to the spring-loaded collapsible baton.

Pepper Spray (Standard Issue)

Pepper spray is a hand-held, aerosol-propelled chemical deterrent used to temporarily blind an attacker and subdue him through intense irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. The active ingredient in pepper spray is capsaicin, (methyl vanillyl nonenamide) a powerful irritant extracted from chilis. When concentrated into a waxy resin form, capsaicin causes an intense burning sensation in human tissue. However, capsaicin can be lethal in high enough quantities, so police officers must use it judiciously.

Taser (Standard Issue)

Also called "stun guns" and "electronic control devices," tasers are hand-held devices that deliver an electrical shock so powerful that it overwhelms an attacker's neuromuscular system, causing intense pain and temporarily disabling the brain's ability to communicate with muscles.

Tasers come in several formats: a short-pronged version for close-quarters combat, a model that shoots gas-propelled electrodes up to 15 feet away and even a water-based system designed to disable multiple attackers at once.

Starting with a single 9-volt battery power source, a taser's internal circuitry includes several electrical components called "transformers," which create a temporary yet massive voltage build-up (e.g. between 20,000V and 130,000V).

Water Cannons (Riot Control Only)

Useful for dispersing large crowds, water cannons take water from fire hydrants, pressurize it with a compressed gas and spray people directly from 50 to 100 feet away. Given the density (and by extension, mass) of water, fast moving particles can carry incredible momentum--striking the skin with enough force to cause bruising in some cases. For further effectiveness, irritants like capsaicin can be injected into the water stream with special machinery.

Tear Gas / Mace (Riot Control & S.W.A.T. Team)

Although the term "mace" and "pepper spray" are often used interchangeably in popular culture, mace is actually a form of tear gas. Illegal in many countries, mace/tear gas contains the chemical 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile or "CS gas" for short. CS gas is classified as a "lachrymatory agent," a compound that causes excessive tearing, mucous secretion, constriction of the air passage, blindness and intense pain.

Rubber Bullets (Riot Control)

Rubber bullets work the same way as real bullets, except that the rounds use slightly less gunpowder and the projectiles are small metal spheres surrounded by a thick layer of soft plastic. Upon impact with the body, the soft plastic layer distends to distribute force across a greater area. This prevents the projectile from piercing the skin, muscle and skeletal tissue. However, the pain it tremendous and there is extensive rupturing of the capillaries and blood vessels surrounding the impact zone.

References

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