The largest study of its kind, the multicenter trial will record the number and severity of injuries produced by law enforcement officers using non-lethal weapon such as Tasers, rubber bullets, and bean bag projectiles.

Tasers and similar devices deliver a series of painful shocks meant to temporarily incapacitate violent and mentally disturbed suspects. Bean bags and other kinetic impact projectiles are fired from shotguns or specialized launchers and are designed to inflict pain and bruising without permanent injury. Both classes of weapons have been adopted by many police departments in the United States and are primarily used to help subdue violent subjects without having to resort to deadly force such as firearms. However, there are concerns that the weapons may produce serious injuries or deaths in some cases.

Wake Forest Baptist is the lead site and William P. Bozeman, M.D., associate research director and assistant professor of emergency medicine, is the principal investigator in the study, which is scheduled to begin early this year. As many as 12 qualifying law-enforcement agencies across the nation that utilize less-lethal weapons will participate as study sites. Bozeman prefers to use the term "less lethal" to "non lethal" when describing these weapons because there have been cases of deaths related to their use.

A physician at each study site will review each less-lethal weapon use and record the severity of the injuries and the type of non-lethal weapon used in each case based on the use of force report and medical records generated by each use. "This injury epidemiology study will document the injuries sustained by 750 to 900 patients around the country," said Bozeman. "This is the f
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Contact: Karen Richardson
krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu
336-716-4453
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
4-Feb-2005