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31 jecember 1970

Non- Lethal Weapon Brochure

B. Roth, E.M., "Electric Current", in NASA-CR-1205 (1), Washington, D.C., 196S. (UNCL.)

.C. Walter, C. W., Electric Hazards in Hospitals, National Acadcmy of Sciences, Washington, D.C., 1970. (UNCI.)

We have been much intcrested by the /brochure submitted byMr. The principle of controlled electroshock can offcr an effcctive solution to the personnel incapacitation problem.

It is unfortunate that the brochure is in the form of an advertising pamphlet rather than a scientific presentation. The brochure gives no definite engineering specifications, but we assume that Shas the following conditions in mind: (1) a single nct with left and right halves connected to the.. /System by a two conductor insulated cable; (2) projection of :hc net onto the subject in such a way that the subject would tend to grasp one half of the net with each hand and take tho current in an arm-to-arm direction (rather than upper body to fect \*); (3) five shocks per sccond to be delivered (about 0.5 joule each, duration of each pulsc about 500 microseconds); and (4) the subject is healthy. The somewhat confusing numbers prcsented with Figurc A of the brochure apparently rnake the key assumption that the circuit rcsistance is 10,000 ohms presumably including the two series contacts between the net and the subject.

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\* A single conductor system using the ground loop would require that the shockbox itself be thoroughly grounded or the person holding the shockbox would be slocked just as severely as the subject.

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is correct that currents abovc 20 milliamperes will cause painful tetiy of the musclcs through which the current passesandthat individual shocks of about 0.5 joulc are not likcly to kill hcalthy people. (Rcf.B) Mr.

istates that he has verified the cffectivencss and safcty of the repeated short pulses rncntioned above by appropriate tests.- Such a rcsult secms reasonable, but it would be nice to sec the report of his cxperimental procedure.

We question the reliability of the net-shockbox combination in incapacitation of a. high perccntage of subjects under field conditions. In order to be effcctive, tctanizing amounts of current must pass through muscles that will incapacitate the subject. In order to get to the muscles, the current must get through the skin somehow. A large area of firm contact with swcaty skin can have a resistance of a few hundred ohms; a small area of dry contact with light pressure can range up into millions of ohms. (Ref. B) If the net provided two contacts with the subject's body, amounting to' a series resistance of one megohm or more, the shockbox would have to deliver a voltage of 20, 000 volts or higher in order to force the required current through the skin. We doubt that a shockbox of the small dimensions specified by {could provide such voltages and energies. What if the subject is wearing a leather jacket, motorcycle hclmet and dry leather gloves? What if part of the net happens to get into the subject's mouth? What kecps the net from shorting itself out? Why wouldn't a subject with painfully paralyzed arms start to run thereby brcaking contact?

Engincering details and extensive field test results of the system arc necessary for cvaluation of this approach.

Thc primary medical hazard of the system is the possibility of inducing. ventricular fibrillation of the heart. Ventricular fibrillation is almost in-

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variably fatal under ficld conditions. If jdevice included current
limiting circuitry so that the encrgy in cach bricf pulse was limited to abeut
0.5 joule applicd hand-to-hand, the risk of ventricular fibrillatien in a healthy
subject should be ncgligible. (Rcf. B) If the subject happened to be "clcctrically
sensitive" (duc to coronary artery diseasc with irritablc myocardium, pace
maker devicc, etc.) a much smaller shock could lead to unconsciousness
within scccnds and death within a few minutes. (Ref. C) Jacknowledges
such a possibility by noting that his device should, be used on "healthy crooks"
only. Most young pcople, aside from invalids, do not fall in the "electrically
sensitive"category.

In surnary, we fecl that such a device is not likely to cause permanent injury to an active young adult subject, but we question its reliability as an incapacitation system under field conditions. Our engincering staff has roughed out a circuit diagram for a unit that would deliver 0.5 joule under the low resistance conditions assumed by We wili be happy to provice a copy of this diagram or comments on any other points that you may request.

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