A New Low for Law Enforcement: 80,000 Volt Stun Cuffs

Before I begin let me state that I think the advent of less-than-lethal weapons was a good thing. Tasers, chemical agents, less-than-lethal munitions, batons, etc are all effective yet relatively safe ways of apprehending dangerous criminals. However, I believe the following story demonstrates how the widely accepted use of such weapons has led many in LE to lower the criteria for deployment. Check this out!!

According to an article posted at Raw Story, the Sheriff’s Department in Buchanan County, Missouri has begun using 80,000-volt enhanced handcuffs for prisoner transfers and some court appearances. While many are concerned about the safety of the devices, KQTV-TV reported that sheriff’s officials aren’t concerned that the devices might be dangerous.

“It affects the muscles of the body and it doesn’t really affect anything else,” Captain Jody Hovey told KQTV.

“Everyone says it affects your heart, and it does not. What it does really is it just sends a charge through the body that locks up your muscles.”

REALLY?? 80,000 volts won’t affect the human heart??

My real question is this….WHY would you be electrocuting a prisoner who is already in custody and already restrained??????

These prisoners can be electrocuted IN CUFFS from up to 100 yards away!

Hovey told KQTV reporters that the “stun cuffs,” are tied around a prisoner’s arm or leg and can be operated by remote control from as far as 100 yards away.

Currently the agency is only using two sets of “stun cuffs,” that cost$2,200 each.

The agency plans to order more but they say there are some “bugs and kinks” that need to be corrected before they do so.

link


“Bugs and kinks” to work out? How about moral issues to work out??

This is a sick world we live in. In war time, abuse like this would be considered a war crime and would receive international attention. Where is the ACLU in this case? Has anyone heard of this?

reply to post by seabag

If that isn't cruel and unusual punishment, what is?

Coming soon, the stun suppository.

reply to post by greencmp


Exactly…

The reason for less than lethal force is to apprehend a person. Once the person is in custody, there is no need for the use of force. What is the difference between striking someone with a baton who is cuffed and electrocuting someone in cuffs?

This is over the top IMO.

reply to post by seabag


80,000 volts? Is that all? The prisoners should be glad its not 250,000 volts I suppose. They already have a restraining chair they will throw you in naked where you can not move if your acting up when your already in custody, I guess this is just one step up for the sadist in the department that get their kicks off of shocking people they want to keep quiet.. Sounds like the stazis of nazi germany to me!!!

reply to post by seabag


It sends a volt to lock up the muscles, but it doesn't affect the heart?

Correct me if I'm wrong, I lack certain 'basic' knowledge, but I'm 99.99% sure the heart is a muscle.

And as you said, why is this necessary when the perp is already in custody.

Just furthers my theory that we're headed to Police State Murika, and it starts with the indoctrination and re-education of our so aptly brainwashable criminals with badges, or police imitating Gestapo. Whichever term floats your boat.

As I understand the medical side of this, amperage across the Heart is what kills and a tiny amount of it, at that. 100 Milliamps in one spot I just looked. The USB port on your computer has enough, regardless of voltage.

It's how they've used electroshock at rather staggering voltages at times across the past (and coming back, from recent reports) without killing the patients every time.

On the restraints? I guess I'm kinda surprised that you're surprised? I'm not sure precisely when 50,000+ volt restraint belts began being used but one Civil Case out of California shows dates in the opening lines running back 1997 and before. So it's a long term thing. Handcuffs sound new. A new twist?

Why is it necessary? This is why...

Judge, Two Others Killed in Courthouse Shooting

I'm guessing we all remember that one ...and it wasn't the first nor will it be the last. It's a stark reminder though that for those with nothing left to lose to death in a concrete box? The relative freedom of court is enough to go for it....if there isn't something absolute to stop them cold.....and yes, dead, if need be.

Just my thoughts

Amps are what kill you/harm you -- not so much volts. According to Yahoo! answers:

hen I bought my C2 civilian dart-firing air taser, the instructional CD said that voltage is how far the electric current will jump, and that when you shock yourself on a door nob from static electricity on a dry winter day, that's easily 30,000 volts. When you stick wires into an electrical outlet in your house, the voltage is much lower, but the amperage is much higher, which can cause some problems.

Link

Go on Amazon or Ebay, you can easily find a stun gun that has over a million volts.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


We’re talking about a prisoner in cuffs. How do you propose a criminal who is handcuffed (even with regular handcuffs) could carry out a shooting inside a courtroom or anywhere else?

Besides, I served jury duty last year and even in my small county there are metal detectors and there's only one way in! Not to mention there are cops all over the place inside the court house.

I’m not willing to concede to cruel and unusual restraints being used on inmates in the name of security. There is no need to use that kind of force on a person in handcuffs. If a police officer is incapable of subduing an inmate THAT IS HANDCUFFED then maybe that officer should consider another line of work because he or she is a puss! I'd fight Mike Tyson (name your favorite pro boxer) if he was handcuffed! No taser required! LOL

reply to post by seabag


Pure torture for those already restrained?
Tides are turning. You do realize that in most jurisdictions citizens have the right to use deadly force to prevent serious bodily harm or death to themselves or others, right?

50K Volts... From wrist to wrist through the body making your body act like the filament.... 50K to the heart! A Heart is a MUSCLE!!! Seized up and gone into cardiac arrest!!! Bazinga!

This is not good. Don't like it. Don't like it. Don't like it!

Replace 50k with 80k.... My dislexia kicked in for a second and my brain was disconnected from the intramanet....

reply to post by seabag

“It affects the muscles of the body and it doesn’t really affect anything else,” Captain Jody Hovey told KQTV.

“Everyone says it affects your heart, and it does not. What it does really is it just sends a charge through the body that locks up your muscles.”

what a load of IGNORANT BS.
en.wikipedia.org...

The heart is a hollow muscle that pumps approximately 4.7-5.7 litres of blood per minute throughout the blood vessels to various parts of the body by repeated, rhythmic contractions.[1] It is found in all animals with a circulatory system, which includes the vertebrates.[2]

or are they playing stupid, because they don't want their toys taken away

soon they'll be upgrading to the agonizer



personally, I long ago made a choice, I am not a farm animal or anyone's property;
attempted use of what is essentially a cattle-prod, or any other forms of pain compliance against my person, is grounds for immediate termination of the offending party.

reply to post by seabag


You know what's fun? Go dig around in the bushes and flower planters outside of a courthouse.

if cops can have shock handcuffs, making their equipment look more and more like a rape kit, then why shouldn't the common man own an atomic rifle? i mean lets face it, the courts will uphold in favor of the rapist cop 'cause they all are usually in on it. in case of gross police corruption, i believe an atomic rifle would be in order

reply to post by seabag


Isn't the heart a muscle? Hmmmm.....

Sadists and Masochists everywhere rejoice....oh the kinky games that could be played with these wicked, wicked toys.

Oh stupid humans.

Metaphysique
]or are they playing stupid,

They aren't playing.

Metaphysique
personally, I long ago made a choice, I am not a farm animal or anyone's property;
attempted use of what is essentially a cattle-prod, or any other forms of pain compliance against my person, is grounds for immediate termination of the offending party.

I feel ya man, I will not suffer certain indignities ever again either.

I am going to take a guess that these police officials do not have medical degrees nor have they consulted an unbiased medical professional since they believe no harm can occur. (Haven't tazers killed people)

reply to post by seabag


Well, I don't know how a prisoner in cuffs may make use of anything around them, in an unsecured environment. I know I have seen several videos in the 'Dumbest' type shows where people did go ape in a court room and did serious damage ...in cuffs.. before multiple bailiffs could manage to bring them down.

Now I'll say this. If these are used outside of actual documented need? I.E....they're used punitively or for amusement in some way? These people should be facing the court they are currently serving, as defendants, not officers of the court.

Having said that.... If the inmate doesn't fight, he won't get zapped half to death. If he doesn't screw around, he won't mess himself and make those officers deal with that stench and unpleasantness ..they absolutely don't WANT to deal with.

I'm sorry, but I can't see the problem here. If, heaven forbid, I found myself in that line of inmates on a major felony case where they had reason to have some fear of either me or those near me in line? I'd understand if I had the electro-cuffs ...and if I wasn't the concern, I'd be HAPPY whoever was the concern was wearing the 'cuffs of compliance'.

* We can't agree every time, eh?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

* We can't agree every time, eh?

We rarely do anymore! LOL

Police have a principle known as the Use-Of Force Continuum. It is as follows:

Suspect resistance / Officer use of force
1. No resistance / 1. Officer presence
2. Verbal noncompliance / 2. Verbal commands
3. Passive resistance / 3. Hands-on tactics, chemical spray
4. Active resistance / 4. Intermediate weapons: baton, Taser, strikes, nondeadly force
5. Aggressive resistance / 5. Intermediate weapons, intensified techniques, nondeadly force
6. Deadly-force resistance / 6. Deadly force

link

I’m just not sure how a person who is ALREADY in custody, already handcuffed and/or shackled could really rise to the level necessary to deploy this device. There are dozens of cases of police using excessive force during arrests. Why should we condone or allow the use of force against someone already restrained? Throwing a temper tantrum while cuffed and shackled hardly rises to the level necessary for using stun cuffs. Would you be OK with using a baton and clubbing the hell out of a handcuffed inmate? A baton and stun devices are considered by LE to be on the same level.

reply to post by seabag


I hate to think we disagree so much. I am totally confused by your position here. If we had even a large % of criminals in and out of courtrooms who were nice guys and no threat, I could see it to some degree.

These are some of the most dangerous animals on two legs though. Many times, they are in hearings or other bit of process related to a life or Capital case and literally have nothing to lose. Nothing more can ever be done to them than is already being done ....so any restraint we normally have? They don't. No consequence of any kind for anything. Even murder. What are ya gonna do? Sentence them to life? lol....



This one is cuffed and it takes over a half dozen men to take him down. That, despite the fact he telegraphed what he was about to do so completely, I'm surprised they didn't pile on him before he even got up. However, with these cuffs, he'd have dropped like a sack of garbage on the first hostile move. THAT is how I want to see a dangerous criminal. Restrained and headed to the floor hard if he's in a fighting mood.

I have absolutely no soft spot for violent criminals who pose a threat to everything and everyone around them. This guy didn't hurt anyone badly .... other Youtubes show equally restrained people where the outcome wasn't so happy for all involved. I'd say good reasons exist to have the means to frankly 'turn off' the most vicious humans we have to deal with in our nation.