Stun guns have been around for decades but remained relatively obscure until recently. However, there is a lot of controversy surrounding their usage and sale. The high-voltage weapon can deliver a potentially lethal electric shock from up to three feet away and has been connected to many deaths in the US.
Some retailers believe they are not as deadly as they are made out to be by opponents while others argue that these weapons should be as restricted in sale or use as firearms or knives are. This gun can deliver electrical impulses via electrodes on either side of the device with varying voltage levels, making them safe for those who don't know how to handle sharp objects.
What are Stun Guns?
During the early 1980s, stun gun technology was introduced into police departments throughout the United States. These guns were intended as less-than-lethal alternatives to firearms for law enforcement officers. Unlike Tasers, which were not introduced until the 1990s, stun technology became popular more than a decade earlier and became well-established in the law enforcement community long before Tasers' arrival on the scene.
When most individuals think of a stun firearm, they picture a small box that delivers a high-voltage shock to an individual. It is attached to flexible wires and is held close to the body so that when pressed against someone's body it delivers electrical charges into their muscles.
These guns are intended to immobilize the muscles of an individual. If an officer attempts to subdue a violent individual or prevent an individual from fleeing, this gun is used to temporarily incapacitate the subject.
However, just like firearms, these guns have limitations. They do not always work. They are also dangerous for individuals in certain situations and can even cause death if they are misused. In fact, several people have died after being stunned by law enforcement officials during their arrest.
Power and Capabilities of Stun Guns
Stun guns work by emitting a high voltage, low amperage electric discharge into a person's body. The discharge momentarily disrupts their nervous system, causing them to lose control over their muscles for about 10 seconds and feel intense pain.
These guns might not cause the loss of consciousness or death from more powerful weapons like tasers or electroshock weapons. This is because they don't use any radiation; they're just electric currents that can be turned on and off. It also means they have much less potential to cause side effects such as burns, cardiac problems, seizures, or other injuries that would come with using higher-voltage devices.
However, the shock can be so powerful that it could cause a person's heart to stop. This is why these guns are said to be used as a "compliance weapon." It's not meant to be used in life-threatening situations, although sometimes it may be used against someone who is violent or aggressive.
Problems with Stun Guns:
One of the ways that police officers attempt to subdue individuals is by deploying a stun firearm. While being stunned with this may immobilize, temporarily incapacitating an individual, it does not typically lead to death or serious long-term injuries and is viewed as less dangerous than many use-of-force options available to officers.
Thus, these guns are one of the best weapons for law enforcement officials in certain situations where lethal force would be excessive. However, like all tools that have legitimate purposes in law enforcement, they also have significant limitations. Here are the dangers of stun guns:
Instant Working Issues:
A stun firearm may not work properly each time it is deployed against a person. Some stun guns do not work at all, and some work less than expected. Also, because of their design and use, these guns are more likely to misfire when they are used on an individual who is not resisting arrest.
Cause Death on Misused:
A stun may cause death if misused. Some law enforcement officials have mistakenly attempted to use this gun against an individual who was not resisting arrest or trying to flee the scene. In such cases, the person may have been shocked for minutes before he or she was dead or in a severe condition requiring medical attention.
Cause Severe Medical Issues:
A person may be instantly incapacitated by a stun firearm shock but die later from an underlying medical condition or another cause. This is commonly referred to as "back-ramping" which gives the example that when an individual is stunned by this gun, they will have to be resurrected. However, while they are in the hospital recovering, they may die later from an underlying medical condition or another cause.
Powerful Devices:
A person may not survive the shock of this gun for long. Stun guns are powerful enough to cause lethal damage and even death if used on an individual for long periods of time or repeatedly.
How to Overcome the Effects?
Stun guns have multiple effects on the human body. The most devastating is often the effect they have on the brain, which can contribute to a person's death.
After being shot by this gun, often people will experience what is termed "excitation", where their heart rate increases and breathing becomes rapid and shallow as they try to breathe in the air more quickly, their muscles tense up, and it's common for them not be able to process changes in light intensity or sounds.
All of these side effects can lead to additional physical injuries. However, there are certain things that you can do that might lessen some of the damage done by such an incident. These include:
Being prepared for an encounter with this gun, and knowing how to react if you are confronted. Ideally, you should carry a stun of your choice with you at all times. The advantage of this is that you will have the means to protect yourself from any possible future encounters with people who use such weapons against you.
It is also important to take precautions as far as possible, by ensuring that you travel in a group and that your attacker does not know exactly where you live or work. It may be difficult for them to find out this information, but it can be done by checking on the internet for contact numbers or addresses before attacking.
Read also: How are Stun Guns Constructed?
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