Agencies must acknowledge that it is not always possible to fire less-lethal impact munitions at pre-determined distances established by the projectile manufacturer. Therefore, agencies should select a product, develop a policy, and instruct agency personnel consistent with this less-lethal philosophy.
Range of engagement policy should be established by a clear and consistent understanding of the impact projectiles capabilities and limitations. Agencies are strongly encouraged to conduct systematic, live fire evaluations of any impact munition being considered. Decisions such as munition selection, policy, and regularity of ongoing practice should all be based on contemporary; mission based training methods and organizational values.
RECOMMENDED POLICY STATEMENT
Range of engagement will generally be determined by tactics and the facts presented. It is important to note and consider that impact projectiles begin losing energy as soon as they leave the barrel and as such, closer shots transfer more energy on target than longer shots. Generally speaking, incapacitation potential increases with energy - as does the potential for injury. With that in mind, operators must continuously evaluate and balance the need to stop suspect behavior with the acceptability of the potential injury outcome, and avoid targeting areas of the body that are potentially in conflict with this effort. It is also important to note that body composition and physical makeup/condition-and the potential injury risks associated with them-dramatically differ from suspect to suspect, and this must also be considered by operators as they seek the appropriate balance in their aiming point decisions.
IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ:
WASP™ does not provide recommendations for minimum and/or maximum deployment ranges for impact projectiles. Agencies are strongly encouraged to acquire less-lethal impact projectile training from an established industry source and place the highest priority on frequent practice in order that the operator establish a clear and consistent understanding of the impact projectiles capabilities and limitations.
For WASP™ factory authorized training, please visit the TRAINING section of this website. If you wish to obtain less-lethal impact projectile training from an independent training organization, we highly recommend:
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