Dart Firing Stun Gun

Front 1

What are the basic training requirements for dart firing stun gun use?

Back 1

Florida statute requires that any law enforcement
officer authorized by his or her employing agency to operate a dart-firing stun gun must
attend either the Commission-approved dart-firing stun gun course during basic recruit
training or an equivalent training course provided by the officer’s employing agency.

Front 2

Is there annual training required for the stun gun?

Back 2

If the officer’s agency allows the use of the dart-firing stun gun and has authorized the
officer to carry it, he or she is required by the CJSTC to attend annual re-training of at
least one hour on its use.

Front 3

Do Florida Statutes provide for the use of stun guns?

Back 3

As defined in F.S. §943.1717 and §790.01(4)(b), a dart-firing stun gun is categorized
as a nonlethal (force level that is not intended to cause death or great bodily harm)
weapon.

Front 4

Can a civilian lawfully possess a stun gun?

Back 4

Stun guns and dart-firing stun guns are available for purchase and legal use by civilians
in Florida. According to F.S. §790.01(4) (b), “it is not a violation of this section for a
person to carry, for purposes of lawful self-defense in a concealed manner,” a dart-firing
stun gun. Further, F.S. §790.053(2) (b) states that a person may openly carry a dartfiring
stun gun for purposes of lawful self-defense.

Front 5

How does a stun gun work?

Back 5

The basic idea of a stun gun is to disrupt the body’s communication system by
generating a high-voltage, low-amperage electrical charge. It does affect the subject’s nervous system. First, the charge
combines with the electrical signals from the subject’s brain, making it very difficult
to decipher any messages. The subject has a hard time telling his or her muscles to
move and may become confused, unbalanced, and incapacitated. Also, the current
may be generated with a pulse frequency that mimics the body’s own electrical signals.
In this case, the current will tell the subject’s muscles to do a great deal of work in a
short amount of time. Depending on shot placement, the subject’s torso and limbs will
either contract or extend.

Front 6

Diagram of stun gun...need to know various parts.

Back 6

Need to Review...pg. 300-301

Front 7

How should a stun gun be stored?

Back 7

An officer should keep the device clean and dry as
much as possible. If it gets wet, the officer should make sure it is turned off and put in a
clean, dry place until it dries completely. An officer should never test the device while it is
still wet. Storage will be based on the manufacturers’ recommendation and agency policy.
Prolonged storage in extreme temperatures should be avoided.

Front 8

Why is a stun gun utilized?

Back 8

Although use of a dart-firing stun gun is intended to prevent injury to the subject and
other people present, the device itself has a very powerful physical effect.

Front 9

What possible effects does a stun gun have on the human body?

Back 9

Therefore, the subject immediately loses control of
his or her body and falls to the ground, incapable of any coordinated action. Possible
effects of use could include the subject immediately falling to the ground, yelling or
screaming, having involuntary muscle contractions, freezing in place with legs locked,
feeling dazed for several seconds or minutes, experiencing vertigo or a temporary tingling
sensation, experiencing critical stress amnesia, not remembering any pain, and/or
exhibiting minor signature marks from contact.

Front 10

Should an officer use a stun gun on someone that is impaired, ill, injured or pregnant?

Back 10

Agency policy
should be followed in these situations. An officer must be aware that the typical
physiological responses to the dart-firing stun gun are not always present in impaired
subjects. As in any high risk situation, the officer should be prepared to adapt to the
situation and take other tactical action. In general, the best approach to handling subjects
suffering from any form of psychosis is to restrain them as quickly as possible to protect
them and others from potential injury. Also, an officer should follow agency policy when
encountering an obviously pregnant or ill subject.

Front 11

What after-care considerations exist following the use of a dart firing stun gun?

Back 11

All persons who have been subjected to dart-firing stun gun use should be monitored
regularly while in custody, even if they are receiving medical care. In accordance with
training and agency policy, an officer should consider removing the probes if all signs
of resistance are gone. Probes that have been removed from the skin should be treated
as biohazard sharps. If excessive bleeding is observed, medical attention should be sought
immediately. Additionally, an officer should clean and bandage any wounds per agency
policy. An officer should look for and treat any possible secondary injuries and seek
medical attention if the condition requires it. Trained medical professionals should
remove all deeply embedded probes or probes that penetrate sensitive tissue areas (i.e.,
neck, face, groin, female breast, etc.).

Front 12

When is an officer legal justified to use a stun gun?

Back 12

Use of force incidents are judged on
whether officers considered that a reasonable person would believe the officers’ actions
were justifiable based on the totality of circumstances known to officers at the time the
force was used. The officer must consider, without regard to underlying intent or
motivation, his or her authority to use force and the totality of the circumstances, much
of which officers may have no control over. In these instances the officer must be able to
articulate justification verbally for why he or she chose to utilize the DFSG. Florida
Statute also requires officers to consider using a DFSG only when a subject is actively,
physically resisting.

Front 13

Why may not every subject displaying an active physical resistance necessitate the use of a stun gun?

Back 13

Not every situation where a subject displays an active physical resistance calls for the
application of a dart-firing stun gun. During these encounters, an officermust continually
assess whether to engage or disengage and decide on the appropriate force option. Many
times, the most prudent approach may be for the officer to fend off the initial assault then
disengage and reassess. From this point, the officer can either escalate to a higher force
option or de-escalate to a lower force option as the situation dictates.

Front 14

What primary and alternative sites on the body should be targeted on the body with a stun gun?

Back 14

The primary target of a subject’s body should be low center mass and/or large muscle
groups such as the back, buttocks, and legs. Alternative target sites might be the back near the shoulders
or the back of the legs where, if clothed, the clothing fits tighter and the probes will
conduct electricity to the subject more effectively.

Front 15

What areas should be avoided when firing a stun gun?

Back 15

The intentional targeting of a subject’s head, neck, face, chest, or groin should
be avoided when possible because of a higher likelihood of potential for injury to the
subject.

Front 16

What environmental conditions should be considered prior to using a stun gun?

Back 16

If a
subject is in an environment containing hazardous materials or potentially flammable,
volatile, or explosive materials that could be ignited as a result of firing the dart-firing
stun gun, the subject could ignite when hit with a dart-firing stun gun.

Front 17

What should an officer keep in mind when trying to get a subject to comply with instructions following being hit with a stun gun?

Back 17

While the cycle (five seconds) is active, the officer may not be able to manipulate the
subject’s arms or legs to handcuff them. At this point, the subject is usually no longer
trying to resist and wants to comply but has little or no muscular control and may appear
to be resisting. It is for the officer’s (and the subject’s) safety that the officer be aware of
the subject’s potential uncontrollable overreaction in these situations.

Front 18

Define amp.

Back 18

An amp (ampere)
is the measure of electrical current or power.

Front 19

Define cycle.

Back 19

A cycle is the predetermined amount of time (usually five
seconds) that a stun device will discharge automatically when activated.

Front 20

Define drug induced psychosis.

Back 20

drug-induced psychosis, which is a form of
psychosis resulting from drug use.

Front 21

Define electro-muscular disruption.

Back 21

When dart-firing stun gun probes hit a subject, the weapon transmits electric impulses
that interfere with the electric impulses used by the human nerve system to
communicate with the skeletal muscles, causing physical incapacitation, or electromuscular
disruption (EMD). Therefore, the subject immediately loses control of
his or her body and falls to the ground, incapable of any coordinated action.

Front 22

Define electronic control device.

Back 22

Stun guns are one type of electronic control device, a device that uses a high voltage, low-power electrical
charge to induce involuntary muscle contractions to temporarily incapacitate a noncompliant subject.

Front 23

Define signature marks.

Back 23

signature marks, which are marks left on a subject’s
body after a drive stun application.

Front 24

Define sudden in-custody death syndrome.

Back 24

Sudden In-custody Death Syndrome (SDS) is a broad classification for
unexplained in-custody deaths, usually occurring 20 minutes to 2 hours after the suspect
has been taken into custody. In nearly all cases of unexplained deaths involving incustody
subjects, the victim has exhibited bizarre behavior due to delusional, agitated,
or stimulant drug-induced mental states.