Dear Professor Death

Dear Professor Death,

I watched a movie the other night where the bad guy took down his victim with a stun gun. Can stun guns and Tasers kill? What exactly happens to a person who is stunned? If someone else is touching the stunee when they are shot, will they be shocked as well?

Just Curious

Dear Curious,

Stun guns are generally considered nonlethal and only rarely kill a healthy adult. They deliver a high-voltage, low-amperage shock, anywhere from 50,000 volts to 300,000 volts that hijacks the body’s nervous system. (Remember, it’s the amps, not the volts, that kill.) Stun guns must be applied directly to a body, whereas Tasers can be fired from ten feet away and deliver their jolt through tiny metal barbs.

If a stun gun was placed directly over the heart of a person with a bad heart and held there, it could possibly kill them. This would of course be murder. The most recent numbers I can find are from Amnesty International. They reviewed hundreds of stun gun related deaths in 2008 and most of the deaths were attributed to other causes, although the stun gun was listed as a contributing factor in some cases.

The charge from a stun gun causes violent, painful muscle contractions that will incapacitate the victim unless they are on drugs, such as methamphetamine, or amped up on adrenaline. Remember that before you go after someone who is pissed off. The victim won’t be able to stand or crawl away until the contractions end, typically after several minutes, but after that should be perfectly fine with no memory impairment after another hour.

If a person is touching the victim and stuns them, they will also be shocked. Likewise anyone else in contact with the victim. Have you watched shows where someone is about to use a defibrillator on an inert body? They always shout “Clear!” to let everyone know to stand away from the body so they don’t get a jolt as well.

Many retailers in the US carry stun guns and they are legal in all states except for Hawaii and Rhode Island. But before you rush out to buy one you should know that they are subject to the same laws as dangerous weapons. Check your state laws and local ordinances to see if you require a permit to carry one.

Almost every state criminalizes the use of a stun gun except in the case of self defense. In other words, no getting angry at the obnoxious drunk at the table next to you and giving him a jolt to teach him a lesson. That could land you with criminal charges and a jail sentence.

I trust this answers your questions. If not, feel free to write back and I’ll see if I can do better.

Cheers,

Professor D