You gotta love the chutzpah of a company so controversial that they just go ahead and double down with a more aggressive product.
At Modern Day Marine yesterday, Ward and I strolled up to the Taser International booth and I saw this thing that looked like a cross between an electric switching station and a Claymore mine — which is pretty much with this thing is…
Called the SHOCKWAVE, Taser has developed what it calls an “area denial” non-lethal weapon that features up to 18 shocker nodes that can go six-at-a-time or all at once. Standing up to 100 meters away, a trooper on overwatch can zap a bad guy and hold him there jittering on the ground until Joe’s gone over to see why the intruder didn’t have the proper password.
Taser reps tell DT that the system has been tested at full power on a pig who had no ill effects (I asked whether there was some residual BBQ from the test, but was rebuffed with a chuckle) and even a couple Taser employees stepped into the SHOCKWAVE’s path for a go (a reminder: be in the office at 8:30am from now on, okay?).
No word yet on military use, but if the controversy over Taser effects continues, maybe we’ll see F-22’s dropping electro JDAMs soon.
– Christian
Christian,
The Shockwave isn’t something new. I saw the prototype in a DTIC presentaion on non-lethal weapons almost 3 years ago I believe.
More intesting usage on non-lethal mines can be found in the Potomac Institute’s study, “Alternative to Anti-Personnel Mines” seen here: http://www.potomacinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=102:alternatives-to-anti-personnel-landmines-&catid=42:studies&Itemid=64
I feel bad for Tazer. They make a great product that should help save lives and make the job of police much safer. However what has happened is that it gets used by police as a way to abuse their power, beat people (Without and work) and generally ignore the escalation of force procedures. Tazers should be used as a last resort just before the application of lethal force, instead they are used almost as the first response. Don’t question a police office because today that’s the sign that it’s time to use the Tazer.
In the meantime tazer gets a bad rep because police officers have lost all respect for the people that are suppose to protect and serve. Today it seems like mostly harass and ticket.
My questions about this rely more on the effective range and how to aim the device. Can this device also be remotely triggered from something other than a clacker styled trigger mechanism.
I’m going to ignore Cenobyte’s comment as it is obviously intended to spark controversy.
I wonder if this thing is effective against a target wearing body armor and what is the safety of this thing nearlive ammunition. Case in point, will this thing hit the Suicide bomber and cause the explosive to detonate?
Taser is a good company that makes products that have saved many lives despite the whining of moonbat liberal college protesters and other fools.
You shouldn’t be giving police officers reasons to kick your ass and arrest you anyway, but if your dumb-ass does, you had better hope they taser you instead of using their nightsticks. Even pepper spray has a worse effect than a taser.
Interesting idea Taser has, although it remains to be seen how practical it may be.
Cenobyte’s point is that as the non-lethal options increase, cops will go straight to them instead of using less confrontational methods.
Without non-lethal weapons it goes from weaponless to lethal once a critical point is reached.
I suppose a tazer is a better alternative to a nightstick, but I’m thinking of an incident in San Francisco where a cop drew a gun and fired on a person, having accidentally pulled out the gun instead of the tazer. Then there’s the health issues, which are likely when you taser the elderly, the weak-hearted (in a medical standpoint), those with pacemakers, etc.
We need more aerial non-lethal solutions. Aerial laser dazzler, aerial active denial system, aerial LRAD, aerial stink bombs, aerial stun grenades, aerial smoke discharger bombs, aerial non-lethal weapons installed on manned fighters as well as drones that would save both civilian and troop lives, and counter criticism as a result, giving more freedom and releif to jet pilots while doing little damage to civilians even if civilians were hit by these solutions. I beleive this stun claymore is an interesting apporach too. What do you think Christian? I’ve been trying to submit ideas to the DoD, but I don’t have the right connections like you do that will spread the words in DoD. I just can’t stand soldiers are being victims from a more strict ROE for close air support, as what we saw as a result of the military.com news days ago with four Marine being a victim, which COIN fighters were part of the issue of the article on Defense Tech.
Tazer use by the police would not be a problem if they only used them when the person at the other end needed to be taken down. But the police tend to use them on anyone and everyone. Children, the Elderly, protesters sitting on thier hands, or someone that asks a question they don’t like (Don’t taze me bro!!). I have read stories of them hitting children as young as 8, and old people in wheelchairs with them. I have seen them used against a women just because she wanted to see the radar gun when pulled over to speeding (Her legal right) while her children watched. I have seen them taz a guy because he asked them what they where doing on his private property.
Tazers used by police have killed 334 people between 2001 and 2007. Which is about 150% as many people are killed each year by the police in general. That means that about 27% of the deaths caused by police each year are from using the Tazer.
Tazer is not a NON-lethal weapon. It’s a very lethal weapon and should be used only just before you pull your firearm, and never as the first responce as police have begun to use them.
Taser reps tell DT that the system has been tested at full power on a pig who had no ill effects—
so why we dont see this loser not testing on himself? no ill efects no problem or?
“Don’t taze me bro!!” wasn’t tazed because he asked a question somebody didn’t like, he was tazed because he was resisting.
Resisting arrest is in itself a crime, if a police officer is trying to arrest somebody they always have recourse if they were falsely arrested. However if they resist the put the police in a bad situation where they either give up 100% of their authority by taking away their ability to actually arrest somebody or they have to use force to subdue the person they are trying to arrest. In cases were people resist arrest your options are tazer, stick, or gun. Seriously, which of these do you think is the safest?
Cenobyte,
You are a complete idiot. Please quote the law or statute that gives someone the “legal right” to see a police officers radar. Since one dosen’t exist I’m sure you’ll make one up, like the rest of your “facts”. The only place that the citation has to be proven is in court. You seriously think that the side of the road or highway is the proper place to debate a speeding ticket? That’s what court is for. For every one of your dumbass comments and I can give you a common sense response. Suppose the person who gets out of their vehicle to look at the officer’s radar gets hit by a car? Who’s fault is that? You dont think that the department and City/ State will be held liable or that they wont be forced to spend a tremendous ammount of money (your tax dollars) trying to defend against the lawsuit? It’s obvious that you havent got the nuts to put yourself in harms way for the protection of others, and that you have an axe to gring against cops for whatever reason. Maybe you got beat up in school or your wife left your for a man that does more than run his yap on the internet. Who knows. I’ve got grown up work to do so I’ll let you get back to playing on the internet all day pretending to be high speed.
If you are to lazy to look up the stats on Taser deaths, that’s not my fault. Look them up yourself, hell just type ‘death by taser’ into google and you will find dozens and dozens are reported deaths. Easy as that. I am sorry you don’t like the facts, but it doesn’t make them any less the facts.
As to spelling, I typo’ed or made a mistake, either way if your only point is that I spelled something wrong but can’t make a point about the topic, then maybe you shouldn’t write anything at all. I am not hear to pick on or worry about spelling, grammer or punctuation (Something apparently both of us need work on), I am here to write and discuse the topic at hand. Maybe we could go back to that.
Anyone want to contest the facts I listed in my earlier post. You have something that tells me I am wrong I would love to see it.
Thanks for all you being so adult about this.
Oh and just so this is covered for everyone that doesn’t get it. You have the legal right to ask the officer anything you want. He does not necessarily need to show you the radar read out. (However some places require it, like where I live), but you have the right to ask anything you want. Getting shocked because you ask something can’t be seen as anything but abuse.
So apparently you have no answer as to the liability of allowing a motorist to exit their vehicle during a traffic stop. Or that a traffic stop is the wrong place to plead your case. All you are doing is twisting the facts to suit your purpose. The woman was not tased for wanting to see the officers radar, she was tased for Failure to Obey the Orders of a Police Officer, and resisting the subsequent arrest. Which unlike your imaginary “legal rights” is an actual law. You also fail to address the tens of thousands of officers that are tased each year during certification without any deaths or injuries. I’m sure at least 300 people have fallen off ladders and and died during the time period you specified. Should we outlaw those too? The only thing you seem willing to address is that you didn’t even know that it’s a Taser and not “tazer”. Hardly a typo since you typed it so many times. I’m quite the adult, I just have no patience for idiots like you with the whole “cops are so bad to everyone” whining. Next time you need help or someone steals your shit call somebody else. People like you are the ones that end up getting Tased and arrested because you cant follow simple instructions and you feel the need to argue because your ego gets bruised by being told that you can’t do something. And I have no need to look up statistics on Taser related deaths or injuries, as I am an instructor and Taser sends them to us. I assure you I am more familiar with the actual details of all the stories you read a paragraph about on the internet than you are. I can only dream of reading a similar story about you one day, but I doubt that will happen as you probably only act tough on the internet.
So apparently you have no answer as to the liability of allowing a motorist to exit their vehicle during a traffic stop. Or that a traffic stop is the wrong place to plead your case. All you are doing is twisting the facts to suit your purpose. The woman was not tased for wanting to see the officers radar, she was tased for Failure to Obey the Orders of a Police Officer, and resisting the subsequent arrest. Which unlike your imaginary “legal rights” is an actual law. You also fail to address the tens of thousands of officers that are tased each year during certification without any deaths or injuries. I’m sure at least 300 people have fallen off ladders and and died during the time period you specified. Should we outlaw those too? The only thing you seem willing to address is that you didn’t even know that it’s a Taser and not “tazer”. Hardly a typo since you typed it so many times. I’m quite the adult, I just have no patience for idiots like you with the whole “cops are so bad to everyone” whining. Next time you need help or someone steals your shit call somebody else. People like you are the ones that end up getting Tased and arrested because you cant follow simple instructions and you feel the need to argue because your ego gets bruised by being told that you can’t do something. And I have no need to look up statistics on Taser related deaths or injuries, as I am an instructor and Taser sends them to us. I assure you I am more familiar with the actual details of all the stories you read a paragraph about on the internet than you are. I can only dream of reading a similar story about you one day, but I doubt that will happen as you probably only act tough on the internet.
Christian, speaking of non-lethal weapons, why is the first domestic deployment of the LRAD not on your site? We got zapped here in Pittsburgh during the G-20 last Thursday, and the first use of this technology on US citizens on our own soil is *certainly* germane to Defense Tech. The possible consequences are worth discussing. I’ve been trying to round up accounts of how it felt.
Mang: Quick google for more info
http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGLS_en-USUS291US303&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=LRAD+Pittsburgh
Be an interesting article if you developed it to its fullest.
There is a non lethat weapon put out by laser energitics name daser laser. range up to 2400 meters, No ill effects. and can be used over and over.