Great learning material from Tactical Training Scenario: Fighting Against a Taser or Stun Gun | Active Response Training.
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Have you ever thought about what you would do if a criminal threatened you with a Taser? In two recent unrelated incidents, law abiding citizens were attacked by criminals armed with Tasers. Read the links below to familiarize yourself with what happened:
Incident One:
Ladson homeowner says he shot, killed man who tried to rob him with a stun gun
Lincolnville man, 76, had been victim of jewelry thefts before he fatally shot suspected robber
Incident Two:
Alleged robber fatally shot
In both stories, the weapon used by the criminal was identified as a “Taser.” That may or may not be true. News reporters frequently don’t differentiate between a Taser and other types of stun guns. They aren’t the same.
The Taser was originally developed for the law enforcement market, but in the last 10 years there have been civilian versions available as well. Tasers are quite expensive, ranging between $300-$1500 per unit depending on which model you buy. We rarely see criminals with true Tasers. Most criminals would rather sell a stolen Taser for $500 worth of crack than use it to commit robberies.
The Taser shoots two darts that have a range between 10 and 25 feet (depending on cartridge and model.) These darts have metal wires attached and actually penetrate the skin. The wires then conduct the electricity from the unit to the target, allowing a safe stand off distance. When hit by properly spaced darts, voluntary muscular action is nearly impossible. In my Taser instructor classes, I’ve been hit with almost every model made (I’ve been an instructor since 1999.) It feels like every skeletal muscle in your body is flexing as hard as possible about five times a second. You just stiffen up and fall.
To contrast, a stun gun does not shoot any projectiles. It must be held against an attacker and only causes pain, not the intense muscular disruption of the Taser. It isn’t pleasant, in fact, depending on where the shock is administered, it really hurts! But unless the stun gun is held on someone’s neck or into their armpit for a significant period of time to cause a stunning effect, it’s just pain and it can be overcome.
Watch this video of some kids shocking themselves with stun guns just for fun to see what the effects are like:
First, you have to recognize what type of weapon the criminal has. Tasers are shaped like guns and have a laser sight. If it doesn’t have a laser or is box-shaped, you are dealing with a stun gun, not a Taser.
Stun guns are easier to deal with. If he can’t touch you, you won’t be hurt. Keep him at a distance if possible. If you can’t maintain distance, remember the video of the kids above. You can take a shot and be fine. It’s going to sting, but you won’t be incapacitated. Fight with everything you have. Try to take it away from the criminal. In a worst case scenario, direct the shocking posts to a thickly clothed arm or leg to minimize the effects.
Tasers are a little tougher because you don’t know the range of the cartridge the criminal is using. It could be 10 feet or it could be 25 feet. If you can’t get outside the 25 foot safety zone, at least make sure you are a moving target. Both probes have to hit you to deliver the electricity and it’s easy to miss when the target is moving erratically.
The other option is to close the distance. The two darts have to be spread apart several inches for optimal effectiveness. That doesn’t happen if you are closer than five feet to the shooter. You’ll still get shocked, but it will be more like a stun gun than a Taser. Shield your face in the crook of your elbow (it would suck to get a dart in the eye) and charge in. The shock you get won’t be nearly as incapacitating.
Sometimes the darts will be too close together or one dart won’t fully penetrate. When that happens, you’ll feel a shock but may not be incapacitated. If you can move, drop to the ground and start rolling over the wires. The wires are very fragile and break easily. Rolling over them can further dislodge the dart or break the wires, thus ending the shock.
Another alternative is to wait until the shock is finished (five seconds for a police Taser and 30 seconds for a civilian version) and quickly pull out the darts. The Tasers can be re-triggered if the darts are still attached. Your goal is to rip them out before the bad guy pulls the trigger again.
What about shooting the criminal who is threatening you with a Taser or stun gun? That gets tricky, especially if the criminal is armed with a stun gun. Those shocks hurt, but it’s hard to justify shooting the attacker as the shocks don’t rise to the level of lethal force. They simply aren’t likely to cause serious injury or death. Have you thought about that?
The Taser gets even more tricky. Even though there have been many people who have died after being shocked by a police Taser, up until now, all of those folks have been in poor cardiovascular condition, fighting extremely hard, and/or heavily under the influence of cocaine or methamphetamine. The Taser isn’t likely to cause serious injury or death to a healthy individual. In fact, it’s so safe that many police departments rank it a lower level of force than even pepper spray. That’s about as far away from “lethal force” as you can get on any scale.
Where the true danger lies is recognizing that if you are incapacitated by a Taser, the criminal can do literally ANYTHING HE WANTS to you. He could take your firearm, cut your throat, or stomp your head into the ground. You are completely powerless to resist. It is for this reason that I expect many juries to understand why a citizen might use lethal force against a Taser attack, but it won’t be an easy fight.
Tasers look an awful lot like guns and even have a laser sight. If I was facing a criminal armed with a Taser, I could easily mistake it for a firearm. Juries understand when we shoot people who have guns pointed at us. Never lie to the officers or the court, but a statement to police (through your attorney) after shooting a criminal armed with a Taser might contain an explanation about how you thought the criminal was pointing a gun at you. Under those circumstances, it wouldn’t be reasonable to move closer to better identify it or to wait to see whether bullets or electric darts came out. It would be reasonable to shoot.
Post any additional questions you might have about fighting people armed with tasers of stun guns to the comments below and I’ll do my best to respond.
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