Projectile electric-shock weapons (Tasers)
There is no formal legal definition of projectile electric-shock weapons under international law, and different bodies use different terms to refer to these weapons. The most widely known of these devices are the range of ‘Tasers’ produced by a United States company.
The term ‘projectile electric-shock weapons’ describes devices capable of applying, at a distance, a high voltage electric-shock to a target via one or more projectiles. These projectiles are most commonly wired darts, or probes, although other variants exist. The most widely known of these devices are the range of ‘Tasers’ produced by the United States company, Taser International. In addition to delivering an electric-shock via projectiles, several of these weapon types are also capable of delivering an electric-shock when pressed directly against an individual, a technique commonly referred to as ‘drive-stun’.
Last updated on: 03 February 2014