Sweeping stun guns to target crowds

[shraby]

Weapons that can incapacitate crowds of people by sweeping a lightning-like beam of electricity across them are being readied for sale to military and police forces in the US and Europe.

At present, commercial stun guns target one person at a time, and work only at close quarters. The new breed of non-lethal weapons can be used on many people at once and operate over far greater distances.

But human rights groups are appalled by the fact that no independent safety tests have been carried out, and by their potential for indiscriminate use.

The weapons are designed to address the perceived shortcomings of the Taser, the electric-shock gun already used by 4000 police departments in the US and undergoing trials with some police forces in the UK.

(more)
<http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996014>

(wonder if holding up big rubber mats would work against them)

[Az]

1. Set Phasers to stun, wide area dispersal

Sheesh.

[7th_Sephiroth]

2. yes, a wide area torture device

more reasons to fight back

[uptown ruler]

3. Scary...

friends,

many of the protests are peaceful and attended by elderly people and children, i would hate to think what would happen to them, should these untested weapons be used.



ScrutinyHooligans

[izzie]

4. Just think what Cromwell could have done with this?

I think he said no more than 3 or 4 people could get to gether and talk. They may be planning something bad.

[neebob]

5. Independent safety tests?

How would those work, exactly?

[Eric J in MN]

6. Exactly what problem are these guns the solution to?

That people sometimes march for a cause?