Less Lethal Munitions

Police use of force is a complex and controversial issue. The use of deadly force is only justified in the most extreme cases, such as when an officer or someone else is in imminent danger of serious injury or death. However, there are many situations where officers need to use some force to subdue a subject, but deadly force is not necessary. This is where impact munitions can be useful.

Impact munitions are projectiles that are fired from a firearm, but they are designed to have a low probability of causing serious bodily injury or death. This makes them a valuable tool for officers in situations where they need to use force, but they do not want to risk killing or seriously injuring the subject.

Impact munitions were first developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s in response to the civil disturbances of that era. Police agencies began using impact munitions to control crowds and disperse rioters. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, impact munitions began to be used to deal with armed mentally and emotionally disturbed persons (EDPs). Impact munitions allowed officers to keep a safe distance from armed EDPs while applying force that was not likely to cause death or serious injury. This substantially reduced the odds that officers would have to resort to deadly force.

Today, impact munitions are widely used by law enforcement agencies across the United States. They are a valuable tool for officers in situations where they need to use force, but they do not want to risk killing or seriously injuring the subject.

 ETS produces a full line of less lethal products such as bean bag rounds, rubber bullets, blast strips, and flash, smoke and bang grenades.