Bavaria’s police officers are using electric shock guns more and more frequently: the devices, which are commonly known by the name of one manufacturer as “Tasers”, were used 80 times this year by mid-November alone. For comparison: Last year, stun guns were used 66 times by the end of November; in 2021, the devices were used in a total of 51 cases.
Most of the time, the officers only threatened to use the weapons officially called “distance electro-stimulus devices,” as the Bavarian Interior Ministry in Munich told the German Press Agency. According to the preliminary figures for this year, the missions are broken down into 60 threats, 18 missions in distance mode and two missions in contact mode. There were no deaths or permanent damage, as the Interior Ministry stated. “There were only superficial skin injuries caused by arrowhead penetration and, in one case, swelling.”
When the police officers use their stun guns, they shoot two needle-shaped projectiles into the body of their opponent. The projectiles are usually connected to the weapon with insulated wires, which results in a flow of electricity that temporarily paralyzes the person affected. The ministry emphasized that Tasers also have a high preventative effect. “A large number of operational situations can be resolved simply by issuing a threat – verbally or by showing the electric arc,” said a spokesman. “The person concerned often reacts simply to the perception of the resource.”
The electric shock devices are easy to recognize and distinguish from the usual police pistols due to their yellow color. There was initially no Taser use involving firearms in 2023 (as of November 10th). How often the Bavarian police officers shot at people or into the air this year has not yet been evaluated. According to the Interior Ministry, the number of injuries and possible deaths will only be available in the new police crime statistics from mid-March 2024.