There was an outpouring of support for less lethal weapons on the streets after Anne Arundel County police officers shot three men in May.
Partly because of this pressure, Anne Arundel County police will arm 40 patrol officers this week with Remington 870 shotguns containing bean bag rounds. They are also continuing to research Tasers.
But even if these alternative weapons are less lethal than a handgun, it doesn?t mean they can?t be deadly.
“Any of these weapons can kill and injure someone if they aren?t properly used,” said L. Douglas Ward, the deputy director, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Professional Studies in Business and Education, Division of Public Safety Leadership.
The bean bag rounds that will be distributed to county police contain a lead shot inside of a little sack, said Lt. David Waltemeyer, a spokesman for the Anne Arundel County Police.
The round travels much slower than a regular round, and it feels like being hit with a 90-mph fastball, Waltemeyer said.
A blow to the body with one of these rounds, if shot improperly, could be deadly, Ward said.
“Police have acknowledged that sometimes, even if you don?t intend to use lethal force, people die,” he said.
People with pre-existing conditions, such as a heart condition or recent surgery, are at risk for death by less lethal devices, Ward said.
Safety concerns have made Anne Arundel County police cautious about obtaining other less lethal forces, like Tasers.
In April, the County Council legalized Tasers, which deliver an electric shock when they are deployed.
According to the National Institute of Justice, about 184 people have died at the hands of a stun gun or Taser since 1986. Amnesty International has called for a moratorium on stun gun use.
“Police officer[s] [are] mislead into believing that the weapons are harmless … but really it is shooting someone with 50,000 volts of electricity,” said Dalia Hashad, director of the USA program at Amnesty International.
