A Taser ® is a formidable less-than-lethal self-defense weapon. I like it. I like any device that can give someone a strategic self-defense advantage. Tasers ® are highly effective and for that reason have they become standard issue with the police officers of many departments across the county. You can find many videos on social media sites that show a Taser ® being successfully used to apprehend crime suspects. When a Taser ® is used properly under the right conditions, the result is very impressive.

This video shows an experiment conducted by police officers demonstrating the impressive demobilizing power of a Taser ®.

Unfortunately Tasers ® are not 100% effective and occasionally fail to stop an assailant even if used properly. This was the experience of a an Appleton Wisconsin police officer who tried to apprehend a robbery suspect on May 28th, 2016. When the suspect did not submit to arrest, the police officer deployed and fired her Taser ®. The Taser ® failed to immobilize the suspect and he attacked the officer.

The police officer did not have time to use her firearm to defend herself. The suspect managed to take her gun and shoot her. He also shot a bystander and afterwards killed himself with the weapon. The police officer and the bystander were hospitalized and are expected to fully recover from their injuries. This tragic incident highlights the importance of having unarmed self-defense skills. After the Taser ® failed, the police officer was unable to defend herself and prevent the suspect from taking her gun.

I always advocate that one's mind and body are the ultimate means of self-defense. Of course, weapons are often useful and effective, but everyone who uses them should also be competent in unarmed self-defense in case a weapon fails or is unavailable.

The best way to learn reality based self-defense is from a qualified instructor. However, if that is not possible for some reason, then high quality instructional self-defense videos are a good alternative. You can read the full story of the Wisconsin incident at the link below: Officer Shot With Her Own Gun In Appleton Wisconsin To Your Defense, Len