Reply to post: Re: Although Tasers were introduced as non-lethal weapons.....

Re: Although Tasers were introduced as non-lethal weapons.....

"For pepper spray you've got to get close, and I believe people have died after inhaling that as well."

There's also the matter of the target being susceptible to pain (capsaicin feels "hot" because it stimulates pain nerves on contact), but as testimonials have noted, people in a "rush" (be it adrenaline or drugs) can "defer" the sensation of pain for some time (there have been accounts of angry drunks wiping off pepper spray like it was water). So when police believe they're up against someone hopped up, I think they're advised to try something other than pepper spray or physical coercion (because drunks and druggies may not feel pain or act with the due restraint one would instinctively harbor when sober). At least tasers have a better chance of subduing someone hopped up since they act on a more physical level.