• Taser is an acronym which stands for "Tom Swift's Electric Rifle". Invented in 1969 by John H. "Jack" Cover, a Taser uses gas charges to project dart-like electrodes attached to the gun by metal wires. Once the projectile is attached to a target, electrical pulses travel through the wires, disrupting nerve and muscle function. Projectiles are often used by law enforcement as a non-lethal alternative for subduing perpetrators. Los Angeles Times: Jack Cover dies at 88; scientist invented the Taser stun gun (February 13, 2009)

• 1. Invented by Jack Cover in 1969Los Angeles Times: Jack Cover dies at 88; scientist invented the Taser stun gun (February 13, 2009)
  2. Over 9,100 law enforcement, correctional and military agencies in 43 countries use Taser devices
  3. Penetrates up to two cumulative inches of clothing
  4. Requires pre-sale Public Safety background check for civilian purchase
  5. Disperses serialized confetti when deployed
  6. The United Nations considers tasers to be a form of torture
  7. Illegal in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Michigan, Wisconsin, Hawaii, and Washington, DC

• The Taser's Invention

  Jack Cover invented the Taser in the 1960s, after a series of airplane highjackings occurred. Guns cannot be fired safely within the body of a plane. Cover said he got the idea for a weapon that stunned people with electricity from a children's book, Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle, one of several written by the writers known collectively as Victor Appleton.Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Jack Cover, inventor of Taser stun gun, dies at 88 (February 13, 2009)

  The Taser was rejected by law enforcement until the 1990s, after a new version used compressed air, rather than gunpowder, to fire the darts.Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Jack Cover, inventor of Taser stun gun, dies at 88 (February 13, 2009)

Categories