Taser

Taser is a line of handheld conducted energy devices sold by Axon Enterprise, formerly Taser International. Each device fires small barbed darts trailing thin wires, and the high-voltage current they carry produces localized pain or strong involuntary muscle contractions that incapacitate the target. The first Taser conducted energy weapon was introduced in 1993 as a less-lethal option for police to subdue belligerent or fleeing suspects without resorting to firearms, after NASA researcher Jack Cover began developing the concept in 1969 and named it after the novel Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle. Later milestones include the Advanced Taser M-series in 1999 and the X26 in May 2003, followed by the Taser 7 and the Taser 10. Axon reports that Taser models are used by more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies in over 80 countries. The device is marketed as less lethal rather than non-lethal because serious injury or death can still occur, and personal-use Tasers sold in the United States are prohibited in Canada.