Non Lethal Gun Effectiveness Statistics

In this post, we examine the effectiveness and impact of non-lethal weapons in various real-world scenarios, shedding light on their success rates and potential risks. From rubber bullets to Tasers, pepper spray to bean bag rounds, each form of non-lethal ammunition presents unique statistics that can inform discussions around law enforcement practices and public safety.

Statistic 1

"Rubber bullets, a form of non-lethal ammunition, caused injuries in 15.5 percent of cases, and were ineffective 2.2 percent of the time."

Statistic 2

"Non-lethal weapons including electroshock weapons had a failure rate of 14% in real-world applications."

Statistic 3

"Shock weapons such as Tasers have an effectiveness rate of about 60%."

Statistic 4

"Less-lethal munitions used in-case by law enforcement were effective 84% of the time."

Statistic 5

"Pepper spray was successful in incapacitating subjects in 86.4% of use-of-force encounters."

Statistic 6

"The use of a Taser significantly reduced the likelihood of suspect injuries by 60%."

Statistic 7

"Bean bag rounds, another non-lethal weapon type, have been known to cause deaths in about 2% of the incidents."

Statistic 8

"Officers who used non-lethal force were injured 19.1% less frequently."

Statistic 9

"The presence of a non-lethal weapon reduced the odds of an officer being fatally injured by 59%."

Statistic 10

"Use of a non-lethal weapon reduced the odds of an officer being assaulted to 21%."

Statistic 11

"In 72% of incidents involving less lethal weapons, officers used oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray."

Statistic 12

"In 68% of cases of less-lethal weapon use, the subject was under the influence of drugs or alcohol."

Statistic 13

"In a survey about perceptions of less-lethal weapons, 80% of the participants considered them to be “very effective” or “somewhat effective”."

Statistic 14

"Use of less lethal measures was associated with a reduction of firearm use by 71%."

Statistic 15

"Among a sample of 12 large U.S law enforcement agencies, only one did not use any form of less lethal weapon."

Non-lethal weapons have varying rates of effectiveness and risks associated with their use, as evidenced by the statistics presented. While some non-lethal weapons such as pepper spray and Tasers have relatively high success rates in incapacitating subjects, others like rubber bullets and shock weapons have higher failure rates and risk of injuries. The presence of non-lethal weapons appears to have a positive impact on reducing injuries to officers and the likelihood of fatalities, as well as decreasing the use of firearms. However, the effectiveness and safety of these weapons depend greatly on the specific circumstances of their application and the behaviors of the individuals involved.