There are so many questions that are unanswered surrounding the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9, 2014. As you probably know, Brown was unarmed and was confronted by a Ferguson police officer for suspicion of robbing a convenience store. The two got into a struggle and Brown was shot and died at the scene.
In another incident, nearby and soon after the Brown killing, involving Missouri police and 25 year old Kajieme Powell police received a 911 call from a convenience store owner who claimed Powell stole drinks and donuts from his shop. When two officers responded, Powell approached to within 3-4 feet holding a knife “in an overhand grip” a very threatening position. Police then shot and killed Powell.
My big question is why don’t Missouri police officers carry shooting stun guns? Shooting stun guns such as a Taser could have disabled Brown and Powell without killing them, and this whole national ordeal could have been avoided.
Law enforcement officers are trained to use what they call a “continuum of force” in dealing with the apprehension of criminal suspects. That training calls for initiation of a verbal lawful order and escalates up to continuum to the end-deadly force usually with a handgun.
There are literally hundreds of scenes like this around the country every day where the over 17,000 law enforcement agencies who carry and use shooting stun guns almost always from Taser International, the largest and most foremost supplier of these nonlethal self-defense weapons in the world. Tasers are the original shooting stun gun, but in today’s post we’re exploring some other options among the top selling most popular shooting stun guns.
We’ll start by explaining how Tasers work because they actually set the standard for the shooting stun gun industry. Civilian models shoot out two electrified probes up to 15 feet away. The probes and their connecting wires are part of a cartridge that is inserted into the Taser device. The wires are electrified with 50,000 volts of electricity and high amperage of 2 mA in 5-second cycle time with 15-20 pulses per second to disable an assailant for considerable lengths of time with near 100% effectiveness. Tasers use “Neuro Muscular Incapacitation (NMI) Technology that can put a stop to aggressive individuals, even those under the influence.” In the area of nonlethal self-defense products, pepper sprays and normal stun guns are generally ineffective against those under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
To gain a further understanding of we got this answer from Taser International. “The TASER CEW pulses mimic the electrical signals used within the human body to communicate between the brain and the muscles. The probes deployed from a TASER CEW carry fine wires that connect to the target and deliver the TASER into his neural network. These pulses delivered by the TASER CEW overwhelm the normal nerve traffic, causing involuntary muscle contractions and impairment of motor skills.”
We should note that there is no long term damage after the application of the Taser to a suspect or assailant. We also want to note that law enforcement agency tasers have a wider range of capabilities than civilian models do. Before a Taser can be activated, the purchaser must be able to pass a thorough background check. So if you have a criminal record, you may not want to attempt to purchase one.
You know you have a successful product when other people start to copy it. In this case PhaZZer® Dragon offers a “professional self-defense weapon at a more affordable price with user friendly features in mind. There are no background checks, no registration, and no activation required making the Dragon completely operational upon arrival.” It uses 80,000 volts and 2 mA for 10 seconds cycles. It can also be used as a regular stun gun if the cartridge misses or in the event of a sudden approach by an assailant. It uses a rechargeable battery, and an LED indicator shows when the device is charging. It is not a coincidence that their cartridges are compatible with Taser guns. It has a built-in powerful LED light and comes with a custom fitting holster made from nylon containing fiberglass composites for a high quality look and feel.
By far the most popular model of Taser we carry is the Taser M26C that has both fixed and laser sights. This is the closest model you can get to law enforcement versions but still will only shoot the two darts up to 15 feet away. This model uses a Central Information Display (CID) which indicates power level, spark duration, status data, and illumination selector. It can be used as a 50,000 volt stun gun for up close contact. It comes with a four pack of cartridges, practice target and training DVD and manual. It comes in a heavy duty storage case. The 3.6 mA is nearly twice the power of the PhaZZer® Dragon.
Because many of the users of Taser products are women, Taser International designed the Taser C2 with women in mind. It operates the same way as other Taser models shooting two darts up to 15 feet away but uses a 30 second electrical pulse to disable an assailant allowing you time to escape. It sells for only $379. You still have to be able to pass a background check, but it is immensely popular with women because it is so light. It is available in a choice of colors and comes with a holster.
There is another shooting stun gun called the dual defense which sells for $159.95 which is one reason why it is so popular. It shoots a cartridge up to 17 feet away and can incapacitate an attacker for 5 to 15 minutes. Additional cartridges are $59.95 for a package of two.
Finally, you need to know that any kind of stun device including shooting stun guns are not legal everywhere. As of this writing, only 43 states allow them so check with your local law enforcement or go online for legality in your area.
Have you ever used a Taser or any other model of a shooting stun gun? Please share your experience. We want to hear your thoughts.