How It Works

• Compressed nitrogen within a replaceable cartridge releases two probes attached by insulated wires to the TASER unit. Upon deployment, electrical impulses stimulate muscles within the body, without impairing the heart and other organs. Affected are motor and sensory functions, resulting in incapacitation. The amperage transmitted from a TASER is estimated to be less than what transmits through a bulb on a strand of Christmas tree lights. TASER impulses can transmit through one inch of clothing per probe.
  
  

Incapacitation

• The neuro-muscular incapacitation (NMI) technology takes over muscular control by overriding the nervous system. Risk of injury remains minimal to the suspect, while still debilitating him. Regardless of the suspect's size, strength or drug-related state of mind, the TASER stimulates motor-nerve tissue, rendering the suspect unable to retaliate. The TASER immobilizes by halting muscle coordination while the electricity is flowing. Recovery can be instantaneous, so the TASER's effect is only momentary.
  Yet Tasers are not without controversy. The human rights group Amnesty International reports that between 2001 and 2008 in the United States alone, more than 350 people died after being stunned by TASERS. While TASERS were not specifically blamed for these deaths, the Amnesty International report did recommend that more studies should be conducted on the weapon.
  
  

Advantages of TASER Technology

• TASER technology ranks among the safest use-of-force options and has been shown to improve officer safety while also providing effective security among citizens. TASERs have been used on more than 660,000 suspects, at an average of 490 times each day. The device's safety has been the subject of extensive research by law-enforcement officials, military agencies, physicians and universities. The patented TASER technology, when used properly, has been found to be effective and safe.
  
  

Law-Enforcement Use

• TASERs have been used within law-enforcement agencies since 1998. The device has helped lower injuries among officers and suspects by 30 percent to 80 percent.
  TASERs store specific data to ensure accountability, including miniature markers released after a discharge.
  More than 400,000 law enforcement officials are armed with TASER systems, and almost 200,000 private citizens own TASER Electronic Control Devices (ECDs).
  
  

Safety

• A study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice and conducted by Wake Forest University Hospital found that out of 1,201 suspects who encountered a TASER, 99.75 percent were not significantly injured. In fact, TASERs have been credited with lowering overall suspect, officer and deputy injuries in many municipalities, including Phoenix, Austin, Cincinnati and Orange County, California.
  
  

Types Available

• The TASER C2, which is available in retail stores and online, allows for immediate recovery. The primary differences between this model and that used by law-enforcement are the size of the weapon, the NMI cycle length and the cycle waves.