Less Lethal
The Less Lethal topic section covers the complex topic of nonlethal force using TASERs and other weapons by police officers, with the latest news, training and expert columns.
Here’s how you can be more prepared
Here’s how you can protect students and faculty using a less-lethal option
“The goal is to prevent whatever the situation is from escalating up to the point that force would have had to be used.”
Sound planning that outlines a response strategy, coupled with rules of engagement and quality less-lethal training, will enhance an agency’s response
A 26-year-old man suffered critical injuries after being hit by a less-lethal round in Portland
Several officers were injured when fireworks and mortars exploded near them
“We were attacked with rocks, and we had to defend our officers,” Aurora Interim Police Chief Vanessa Wilson said
“By shooting an incapacitated, injured person who was not moving, and who was laying on his knife, the police officers crossed a ‘bright line’ and can be held liable.”
The 23-year-old woman charged responding officers with a knife before she was taken into custody
LE should consider de-prioritizing the use of chemical agents if the benefit of using these tools is outweighed by the risk of spreading COVID-19
After watching riot videos, Kurt Boeker was inspired to create a grenade launcher that shoots projectiles at a safe velocity regardless of the target’s distance
When the pads of the GLOVE come into direct contact with human skin, it generates pain compliance
“The End of Killing” paints a portrait of a future where LEOs are equipped with less-lethal weapons that are more effective than deadly weapons
“The government is f---ing with me. I want you to shoot me,” he blurted out
When someone tells you they aren’t going back to jail that is a clue there will likely be a fight
The man approached police with a knife in one hand and scissors in another, prompting LEOs to shoot him with beanbag-style rounds
The motion seeks to end restrictions on when police can use chemical agents such as pepper spray and tear gas to break up protests
The officer pulled the Taser trigger 12 times, the two prongs did not attach to the suspect during 11 of those pulls
The BolaWrap 100 can immobilize individuals up to 25 feet away
When the Corvallis Police Department moved away from everyday use of shotguns in favor of patrol rifles, the shotguns were repurposed for use as less-lethal weapons
We can’t expect legislators to know what it’s like to make the kinds of decisions they presume to govern, but a grasp of the facts is a reasonable expectation
After the LEO drove the suspect to a homeless shelter, the suspect tried to take the officer’s car and attempted to grab his TASER
Reuters calls the report the “largest accounting to date” of deadly incidents involving TASER deployment
John Witkowski hit one deputy in the chest after telling police he was Jesus
Officers struggled to take down the large man in an incident that occurred Sunday
As the deputy reached for his handcuffs and told Marlin Gipson to turn around and place his hands on his head, the man began to walk away
Currently, TASERs are only issued to officers with more than two years of experience
The officer did not use the device during the confrontation that started over a parking ticket
Any officer employing a TASER against an armed subject should be working in tandem with an officer armed with a firearm
By analyzing case law, we can glean constitutional guidance concerning when the use of a TASER is lawfully appropriate and when it is constitutionally excessive
Early police forces used the billy club as a tool and a symbol of authority