A new multi-shot Taser stun gun which can shock three people without being reloaded has been unveiled. The X3 "electronic control device" comes with improved safety features, manufacturer Taser International said.
The company demonstrated the weapon on three employees who volunteered to be shot at its headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona. Older Tasers, which are used by 14,200 law enforcement agencies throughout the US, have to be reloaded after one shot.
But the new stun gun would "increase officer safety through the ability to recover from a missed shot or even simultaneously stop up to three separate targets", the firm's chief executive said. Rick Smith added: "This is as big a step as when firearms went from a muzzle loader to the revolver. If I was a cop I would want to carry one."
Like the previous model, the new Taser shoots two barbed wires which deliver around six watts of electrical current for several seconds, temporarily immobilising people from a distance of up to 35 feet (10.7 metres) away.
Human rights campaigners have criticised Tasers and challenged the manufacturer's claims that they are safe and not lethal. More than 300 people died after being shocked by the weapons between 2001 and August 2008, according to a report published by Amnesty International in December last year.
The new Taser, which will be available to police and other agencies in late August, costs $1,800 (£1,090), compared with $800 (£483) for the older model. The manufacturers will operate a trade-in scheme by offering credits worth $300-$800 (£182-£485) for the old version.
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