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In science fiction, people can set their laser guns to "Stun." With a flick of a switch, Captain Kirk can opt to fire nonlethal rounds.
Real-life police have no such option. While beanbag guns exist, it's hardly practical for cops to carry both of them around, and they cannot be expected to know which one they'll need at any given moment. As a result, when being approached by a threat who will not comply, their only option is to fire a lethal bullet at the target.
An unnamed, retired sheriff found this problem vexing, and "did not like the fact that people were being shot when the officers do have time (to consider options) but they had no other option than lethal force," Christian Ellis told CNN. Ellis is the CEO of a company called Alternative Ballistics, and they have spent nearly a decade bringing that sheriff's subsequent invention to market.
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Enter a caption (optional)What the sheriff came up with is a small product, called "The Alternative," that can be quickly snapped onto the end of a pistol. When he then pulls the trigger, the bullet slams into a larger projectile on the end of the barrel, with plenty 'nuff force to carry both of them to the target. But the larger secondary projectile slows the speed and spreads the force over a greater area—in other words, it does not penetrate. "It's gonna feel like you had a professional baseball player hit you in the chest with a hammer, so it is going to hurt," Ellis explains. But the thinking is that you will survive, bullethole-free.
Here's how it works:
Obviously testing will be needed, as there are many hurdles to clear: Realistically speaking, can an officer break this out in time? Is there room for yet another item to hang from an officer's belt? How will the training be handled? So while we don't say this is the magic bullet, if you'll pardon the pun, to solve unnecessary shooting deaths, we do appreciate the fact that at least someone, somewhere is trying to apply design to the problem. Because we're damn sure not able to work it out between us as humans.
I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.
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Ex-Sheriff Invents a Bullet-Dampening Device
How about banning guns?
Just a thought.
How about using the death penalty? Today's criminals know they are going to get 3 squares a day, a library, TV, internet and more free time than the working stiff. Quit supporting their ass and remove them from society!
Banning guns... from cops?
Guns equalize humans. Without a gun, the strong dominant. The Weak are enslaved. Women are subjected to men's demands. Guns level the playing field. Stop thinking of a tool as something bad. Think of how the person uses it.
Banning guns for cops...so, how do you propose they fight criminals, with "peaceful freeze gel guns"?
Lets just ban going outside, if were throwing out terrible thoughts
Simply on the basis of tech solution, I find this very interesting. (Although I'm skeptical about plastic slip on device for a handgun--meh).
Responding to the use case, here's a recent example from 12/14 in NYC:
http://nypost.com/2014/12/09/cops-shoot-stabbing-suspect-inside-synagogue/
This seems silly to me, especially since many cops already carry a taser as well as a gun. But I would love to hear an actual police officer's opinion. Anyone?
Guns are rarely shot once and I don't see any advantages over other, 'non-lethal' alternatives.
So, the second and subsequent rounds are "regular bullets", and when guns are fired, they are rarely fired once. Also, most shooters, Police included, are not great shots. To have a cumbersome attachment on a service pistol that only makes the first shot less lethal sounds to me like it would, at best, put all involved in a more dangerous position. If they have to draw their guns, they think their lives are already in danger. If they have to pull the trigger, they will not wait for the "perp" to drop before firing the second shot.
Did he say it's like a major league baseball player hitting you in the chest with a hammer?