Weapons less lethal

Shank, E.B., et al., A Comparison of Various Less Lethal Weapons. U.S. Army Land Warfare Laboratory, Abeedeen Proving Ground, 1974. 

All law enforcement agencies and Her Majesty s Armed Forces are legally constrained by the requirement to use the minimum necessary force for the maintenance of law and order, protection of the individual and prevention of crime. As a result major research programmes have been designed to identify and develop safer alternatives to the use of firearms. Such alternatives were originally referred to as non-lethal weapons. However, in recent years and in acceptance of the fact that fatalities do occasionally occur, Ihe term less lethal weapons is preferred (Box 8.1). 

Many victims of less lethal weapons will be under arrest or later subject to lego proceedings. Physicol examination end history taking must be thorough. All records must be detailed, occurate, legible end comprehensive. Anything less moy leod to embarrassment in court... 

Defence Scientific Advisory Committee (DSAC) Sub-committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons (DOMILL) Statements on the medical implications of the use of the M26 Advanced TASER, Available at www.police. homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/operational-policing/taser-DOMILL-statement.html. 

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