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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!renner
From: renner@uiucdcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Lethal force used by police
Message-ID: <36200168@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Dec-84 00:12:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.36200168
Posted: Mon Dec 10 00:12:00 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 4-Dec-84 19:24:44 EST
References: <494@uwmacc.UUCP>
Lines: 21
Nf-ID: #R:uwmacc:-49400:uiucdcs:36200168:000:846
Nf-From: uiucdcs!renner    Dec  2 23:12:00 1984

Well, it certainly *sounds* nice.  I mean, who could be against non-lethal
weapons for the police.  The problem (as usual) is in the implementation.
The same tranquilizer gun has got to stop:

    a)  little 80-pound Jimmy, wearing a short-sleeve shirt and pounding
	on someone else with a tire iron, and...

    b)  a 280-pound man, freaked out on angel dust, wearing a heavy 
	overcoat and three thick sweaters.

Furthermore, it has got to stop them *right now*.  Because the bad guys
aren't going to switch to these neat non-lethal weapons.  And the bad
guy can do a lot of damage with his 12-gauge shotgun in the 15 seconds it
takes for the dope to hit him.

But by all means, go ahead and look for something that would work.  Just
don't try to take guns away until you already have a replacement.

Scott Renner
{ihnp4,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!renner