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Less-Lethal Taken to a Higher Level

NCJ Number
219185
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 34 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2007 Pages: 48,50,54
Author(s)
Doreen Hudson; Richard Webb
Date Published
May 2007
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the development of the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD’s) new beanbag platform, a less-than-lethal technology for officers in the field.
Abstract
The LAPD began using beanbag technology in 1995 but by 1999, the agency experienced two fatalities as a result of unintended beanbag penetrations. It was determined that the beanbag technology was deployed correctly and was fired at the required standoff distance of 30 feet in each case. In order to determine why the beanbag technology failed to operate correctly, the LAPD undertook a comprehensive scientific research project that remains unprecedented for a law enforcement agency. The research process and findings are reported, beginning with the finding that when fired through a smoothbore shotgun, the shot-filled beanbags sometimes failed to open in flight, as claimed by their manufacturer. To correct this problem, the LAPD retrofitted its arsenal of 300 beanbag shotguns with rifled barrels, which were shown to reliably cause the beanbags to open as they propelled through the muzzle. The LAPD researchers also focused their analysis on the beanbags themselves with the goal of creating a more effective beanbag that could be deployed at a shorter range without penetration risk. The testing resulted in a beanbag cartridge specification that was very strict regarding accuracy, velocity variation, the diameter of the impacting beanbag, and the integrity of the beanbag during input. Only one of four beanbags that were tested met the specifications. The LAPD now has one of the most effective and flexible beanbag technology devices available to law enforcement. Exhibits