Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water? (2024)

Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR

Locked

  • Print view
ua777222

Topic Author

Posts: 2987
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2003 11:23 am

Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water?

  • #1

Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:27 am

I was watching one of those water police shows on TruTV this afternoon while trying to get some stuff cleaned up around the house and there was a fight with a bunch of people in about 3-4ft deep water. He goes jumping in and pulls out his taser and points it at the guys fighting.

They obviously stop, but if he had used it, wouldn't that have been bad news bears for them? He was in the water with them as well and there were around 30 people within firing range of the taser.

Thanks.

Top

LOT767-300ER
Posts: 8526
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2001 12:57 pm

RE: Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water?

  • #2

Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:36 am

I doubt a taser would work underwater, you could probably shock yourself with it.

Top

ua777222

Topic Author

Posts: 2987
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2003 11:23 am

RE: Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water?

  • #3

Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:45 am

Not necessarily underwater. But if he fires pins shooting the electricity into the perp, and he falls back or into the water while its still giving off a shock, wouldn't everyone else in the water be at risk as well. The officer is firing above water and the unit is dry the entire time.

Maverick623
Posts: 4764
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:13 am

RE: Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water?

  • #4

Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:51 am

Quoting UA777222 (Thread starter):
He was in the water with them as well and there were around 30 people within firing range of the taser.

I should first note that firing range does not equal shock range. The range on the taser is based on the cartridge used to fire the prongs.

Quoting LOT767-300ER (Reply 1):
I doubt a taser would work underwater, you could probably shock yourself with it.

Given the size of the body of water, I would think whatever current got into the water would dissipate fairly rapidly, so if anything the people closest to it would feel nothing more than a weird itching sensation.

Top

ua777222

Topic Author

Posts: 2987
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2003 11:23 am

RE: Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water?

  • #5

Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:54 am

Any SOP for taser use in water?

Any odd instances where it cannot be used that would otherwise appear normal?

Despite the controversy around them, I do view them a the future of law enforcement and the prevention of utilizing deadly force.

Shame San Francisco (I'm local to the Bay Area) just decided to not go for them.

Top

LOT767-300ER
Posts: 8526
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2001 12:57 pm

RE: Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water?

  • #6

Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:05 am

Quoting Maverick623 (Reply 3):
Given the size of the body of water, I would think whatever current got into the water would dissipate fairly rapidly, so if anything the people closest to it would feel nothing more than a weird itching sensation.

Maybe in a big pool, but what about a bathtub or a jacuzzi or something? I mean im not an expert electrician of high voltages but somehow I doubt it would be very safe to do so.

fr8mech
Posts: 8483
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2005 9:00 am

RE: Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water?

  • #7

Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:17 am

I seem to recall watching a show, Future Weapons, maybe?, where an officer was hit with a TASER and he fell back into the arms of other officers while the TASER was still popping away. They did not receive a shock. Quite possible that the TASER doesn't have the energy to transmit it past the body in question.

Don't know, maybe water does something, but I'm thinking it's a non-event for the shooter.

Top

18161
Posts: 1330
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:19 am

RE: Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water?

  • #8

Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:54 pm

The two terminals between where discharge occurs will follow a least path of resistance. In air humanbody will offer less resistance compared to air and the person gets zapped, while in water, water would offer less resitance than humanbody and a huge proportion of the current should take the water path than the humanbody IMO.

Top

StarAC17
Posts: 4991
Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2003 11:54 am

RE: Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water?

  • #9

Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:18 pm

They tried something like this on Mythbusters where they tried to make the tazer work with a water gun and couldn't get a proper voltage to incapacitate a victim.

Apparently how they work is that when the leads are shot at the victim it discharges at 50,000 volts and then drops down to 5,000 volts to work properly. When you add water to the equation the voltage drop down doesn't occur and you will kill the victim and not incapacitate them.

I don't think a tazer has enough current to shock people in a pool and if a person was underwater I wouldn't think the leads wouldn't have the speed to hit the person and the electricity would conduct through the water or fail to and it would be harmless.

Top

LTU932
Posts: 13725
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:34 am

RE: Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water?

  • #10

Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:05 pm

Quoting UA777222 (Thread starter):
Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water?

I guess so, at least if you want to receive a nomination for the Darwin Awards.

Top

bjcc
Posts: 342
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2005 4:29 am

RE: Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water?

  • #11

Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:15 pm

Lesson 1 on arrival at first Station from Police Training school. When dealing with fights, let them slug it out, then nick whoever is left standing. Stood me in good stead for many a year.
In other words, why bother with tazars, batons or anything else. Those left standing at the end are always so knackered, they don't put up a fight, and there's less paperwork.

Top

Locked

  • Print view

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: mad99, petertenthije and 60 guests

Popular Searches On Airliners.net

Top Photos of Last: 24 Hours48 Hours7 Days30 Days180 Days365 DaysAll Time

Military Aircraft Every type from fighters to helicopters from air forces around the globe

Classic Airliners Props and jets from the good old days

Flight Decks Views from inside the co*ckpit

Aircraft Cabins Passenger cabin shots showing seat arrangements as well as cargo aircraft interior

Cargo Aircraft Pictures of great freighter aircraft

Government Aircraft Aircraft flying government officials

Helicopters Our large helicopter section. Both military and civil versions

Blimps / Airships Everything from the Goodyear blimp to the Zeppelin

Night Photos Beautiful shots taken while the sun is below the horizon

Accidents Accident, incident and crash related photos

Air to Air Photos taken by airborne photographers of airborne aircraft

Special Paint Schemes Aircraft painted in beautiful and original liveries

Airport Overviews Airport overviews from the air or ground

Tails and Winglets Tail and Winglet closeups with beautiful airline logos

Can Police Tasers Be Used In Water? (2024)

FAQs

Can a Taser be used in water? ›

Do not immerse the energy weapon in water. If your energy weapon has been submerged in water or exposed to a significant amount of water for an extended time, immediately remove the battery pack, remove the energy weapon from service, and contact Axon.

Do police tasers work in the rain? ›

Tasers do not change their impact and performance in water, snow, sleet, hail or hellfire.

How many times can a cop use a Taser? ›

In releasing a video of the tasing of Anderson compiled from officers' body cameras, Chief Michel Moore said that there is no limit on the number of times a Taser can be used in a particular situation and that the actions must be reasonable given the totality of the circ*mstances.

What is a liquid Taser? ›

One of the newer stun weapons is the liquid stun gun. These devices work the same way as Taser guns except they use a liquid stream to conduct electricity rather than extended wires. The gun is hooked up to a tank of highly conductive liquid, typically a mixture of water, salt and various other conductive elements.

Can cops taze you in water? ›

These circ*mstances may include, but are not limited to, use of the TASER device on a person who is physically infirm or pregnant, or a person on an elevated or unstable platform, operating a vehicle or machinery, running or in water where the inability to move may result in drowning.

Is the Taser pulse waterproof? ›

A: We cannot guarantee as the product is not waterproof. However, we conduct functionality tests while wet.

What happens if you taze someone in the rain? ›

Using a taser or stun gun on someone during a rainstorm wont have any negative effects on the weapon or bad guy. Only if your electrical weapon got the wires exposed or body were to break open entirely would there be any chance of it shorting out. They are sealed pretty well normally.

How long can you be tased? ›

The Taser is programmed to deliver a five (5) second electrical pulse. The operator may cause additional five second pulses to be delivered should it be necessary to control the targeted individual.

How accurate are police tasers? ›

A Taser is generally considered accurate at a range of up to 15 feet, which is the standard range of most law enforcement models. However, the accuracy can be affected by a number of factors such as the target's movements, the angle of the shot, and the presence of obstacles or wind.

What is the failure rate of a Taser? ›

When the stun guns fail to subdue a suspect, however, confrontations may escalate to police using deadly force. And studies, as well as the experience of individual police departments, have shown that Tasers fail to bring down their target as much as 40 percent of the time.

How long does it take to recover from being tasered? ›

An electric Taser can incapacitate someone for as long as its electrical cycle lasts, typically around 5 seconds. People usually recover immediately and feel no residual side effects, but it's important to keep an eye on them afterward to make sure that there was no injury for at least 20 minutes afterward.

Why do cops yell taser taser taser? ›

The purpose of the warning is for the following: (a) Provide the individual with a reasonable opportunity to voluntarily comply. (b) Provide other officers and individuals with a warning that a TASER may be deployed.

What is a dry Taser? ›

The TASER can also be deployed by holding it directly against the suspect's body. This is called “drive stun” or “dry TASERing,” and is intended to cause pain without incapacitating the target.

What is Taser now called? ›

Axon Enterprise, Inc.

(formerly TASER International) is an American company based in Scottsdale, Arizona that develops technology and weapons products for military, law enforcement, and civilians. Axon Enterprise, Inc.

Which is better, a stun gun or a Taser? ›

A traditional stun gun does not produce a neuromuscular incapacitation. Only conducted energy weapons like the Taser do that. Before using either weapon, you should have a good understanding of what they are, how to use them, and what limitations they have. Then get training with them.

When not to use a taser? ›

The Taser has the ability to ignite flammable liquids.

Careful consideration should be given in deploying the Taser on subjects who are in elevated positions or in other circ*mstances where a fall may cause substantial injury or death (i.e. subjects on roof tops, on stairs, or pregnant woman).

Can a taser shock through clothes? ›

The barbs stick to clothing or skin so the charge can be delivered from a distance of 15–20 feet. Most stun guns will work through light clothing, but keep in mind that heavy or bulky clothing or jackets will reduce their effectiveness.

Can a taser be used like a stun gun? ›

Just like with any weapon — even firearms — TASER's effectiveness degrades under real-life conditions, which are far less orderly than those during training. Even if the probes fail to hit the intended target area, you can still use the TASER as a contact stun gun after firing the probes.

Can a taser go through rubber? ›

The taser works because it shoots out barbed probes which are connected to the power source. When the probes both enter the body, the electricity is delivered directly through them. Rubber shoes will make absolutely no difference.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Barbera Armstrong

Last Updated:

Views: 6113

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (59 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Barbera Armstrong

Birthday: 1992-09-12

Address: Suite 993 99852 Daugherty Causeway, Ritchiehaven, VT 49630

Phone: +5026838435397

Job: National Engineer

Hobby: Listening to music, Board games, Photography, Ice skating, LARPing, Kite flying, Rugby

Introduction: My name is Barbera Armstrong, I am a lovely, delightful, cooperative, funny, enchanting, vivacious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.