5-06/040.00 - Intended Purpose of Less-Lethal Weapons



The intended purpose of less‑lethal weapons is to temporarily interrupt a suspect’s behavior.  The application of less‑lethal weapons alone cannot be expected to render the suspect harmless.  Less‑lethal weapons are intended to be tools of transition and Deputies must be prepared to fully exploit the brief opportunity to safely take the suspect into custody.  This may be as simple as using a control hold or handcuffing.  It may also consist of a repeated application of the less‑lethal tool or the transition to another tool or tactic.  The response to the application of any less‑lethal weapon must be constantly assessed and its use continually evaluated.