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RUBBER BULLETS Since the 1970ıs rubber bullets have been a state sanctioned form of crowd control. They have made their appearance in Northern Ireland, Palestine, Buenos Aires, Barcelona, Los Angeles & Oakland, California & most recently Miami, Florida. So far munitions in our research appear to be for either 12 gauge shotgun or a 37/40 mm launcher; moreover, these projectiles are available in a variety of formats designed to produce what is referred to as blunt traumaı, as well as those that deliver various chemical munitions. 9mm/.357/.40 caliber No information currently available, research in-progress. 12 Gauge Shot Less Lethal Munitions1 * Rubber Rocket Projectile. A direct fire, behavior modification 12 gauge round which fires a 115 grain, 80 durometer rubber projectile, producing controlled and directed incapacitation by blunt impact trauma. This round was designed for single target engagement allowing escalation of force from a safe distance prior to the use of lethal means. Min/Max Range: 20-45 yards. 2 * Power Punch Ballistic Bag3 . An innovative 12 gauge round, utilizing the industryıs only 50 gram ballistic bag. This round produces a painful and powerful blunt impact at the remarkably low average of 270 fps thereby reducing your liability profiles in relation to lethal ammunition. The round remains more aerodynamic due to the projectileıs encasement by ballistic nylon versus cotton. Also available in low and medium power (26 gram bag). Min/Max Range: 10-25 yards. * Tri-Dent. A direct fire, behavior modification 12 gauge round which fires 3 each, 46 grain, 60 durometer rubber projectiles, producing controlled and directed incapacitation by blunt impact trauma. This round was designed for single target engagement allowing escalation of force from a safe distance prior to the use of lethal means. Min/Max Range: 7-25 yards. * Hornetıs Nest. A direct fire 12 gauge round which fires 20 each, .308 diameter rubber projectiles, producing a stinging effect designed to result in behavior modifications, retreat away from officers or immediate response to issued commands. This round was designed for single or multiple target engagement allowing escalation of force from a safe distance prior to the use of lethal means. Min/Max Range: 3-10 yards. 37/40 mm Munitions The basic idea of the above indicated munitions are replicated in the much larger caliber projectiles in this category with the added effect of increased levels of pain as indicated in this candid sentence referring to a single ball (or mono-ballı) projectile in the 37/40 mm category. ³The MONO-BALL launches one, 25 gram rubber projectile, producing controlled and directed incapacitation by blunt impact trauma and excruciating pain.² 4 Minimum/Maximum range for this caliber is roughly 7-20 yards. The mis-nomer of non-lethalı weapons becomes most apparent when one considers the parameters for use of these weapons & the crowded, sometimes confusing nature of a demonstration. The manufacturers of these products themselves acknowledge that these weapons are part of a continuum of violence - from less-lethal to lethal force - admittedly when police begin to fire these weapons & the panic, tension & anger of a crowd escalates as a direct result of this behavior on the part of the police, the ensuing melee will more than likely problematize the parameters of the alleged safe use of these weapons. Consequently, one could infer that in these instances the likelihood of these weapons being abused would increase. Panic on the part of a police officer may decrease the likelihood that such weapons will be used at the proscribed safe distances, or conversely, as a crowd panics & begins to run the inability of a police officer to avoid aimming the weapon at a part of the body (such as head, neck, or torso) where the likelihood of lasting injury would occur would increase. Below, to facilitate the dispelling of the disinformation surrounding these tools of violence are some medical quotes relating to injureous & potentially permenant effects of non-lethalı munitions. * Professor Michael Krausz, a researcher from Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, said that a study had shown that low penetration projectiles were very serious weapons that could maim and kill. He urged that rubber bullets not be used for crowd control because their slow velocity did not prevent major harm. 5 . * Both rubber and plastic-coated metal bullets are capable of entering the skull cavity and also breaking bones. * Israeli professor Michael Krausz and colleagues at the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa analysed the medical records of 595 casualties admitted to hospital during the October 2000 protests by Palestinians living inside Israel (typically described as "Israeli Arabs" by the media). Of those, 152 were found to have been injured by rubber-coated metal bullets. Injuries were distributed randomly across their bodies but were most common on the patients' arms and legs, and on their head, neck and face. * The doctors said their findings dismissed the theory that "rubber bullets" were safe. *Writing in the medical journal, The Lancet, they said firing the bullets at civilians made it "impossible to avoid severe injuries to vulnerable body regions such as the head, neck and upper torso, leading to substantial mortality, morbidity and disability." * "This type of ammunition should therefore not be considered a safe method of crowd control." Most crowd control technologies and restraint devices rely on the principle of containment through pain or physical restriction. They are inherently open to abuse, some more so than others. 6 FOOTNOTES: 1 - Product names & descritptions obtained from www.sabredefense.com/ammunition 2 - Min/Max range data obtained from www.att-tactical.com/ALS.htm 3 - "With most conventional bean bag ammunition fired at distances closer than 21 feet there is a potential of penetration factor. www.ozarkmtns.com/less-lethal/products/als1200htm 4 - www.ozarkmtns.com/less-lethal/products/cat14.htm 5 - This information & subsequent information on this page obtained from http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article527.shtml 6 - Quote taken from Amnesty International Report 2 December 2003. |
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