Understanding the Effects of a Stun Gun on a Tasered Person

The question, 'If someone gets hit with a stun gun and you’re in contact with the person, would you also feel the effects?', brings to light a complex and often misunderstood scenario. The answer is: “Probably not, but it depends.” To understand this, we must first delve into how electricity works and the mechanics of a Taser.

How Electricity Works

For an electrical shock to be delivered, the circuit must be complete. This means the electricity must exit one probe of the Taser and travel to and enter the other probe. Electricity will always take the shortest or easiest available route. Therefore, only the tissues and muscles between Probe A and Probe B will be affected.

The Mechanism of a Taser

Hand-held Tasers, similar to the one used by police, shoot probes out of a cartridge. These probes are still attached to the Taser by super-thin insulated conductive wires. One probe goes straight, while the other is shot at a downward angle. This setup ensures that the electricity travels through the intended path, which is typically just the skin or possibly a small muscle segment, about 1.5 inches or 3 cm wide. That narrow path is why Tasers are often portrayed inaccurately in media as causing unconsciousness; the tiny area of contact is insufficient to impact a person's brain directly. Even if a probe were to strike the skull, the brain is protected by a layer of skull, muscle, and skin, making a significant impact unlikely.

Impact in a Battle Scenario

In a fight or other struggle, a typical hand-held Taser might be frightening for the other person but almost ineffective due to the limited contact area. If one probe lands on the breast pocket of a winter coat and the other strikes the pants, the electricity travels through the extensive skin and muscle in between the upper chest and lower thigh. The muscles in this area can remain in a flexed position for the duration of the 5-second current application, typically enough for a person to fall and be restrained by other officers. However, a fall may occur due to impact rather than from the Taser itself. The Taser's 50,000 volts enable the current to travel through clothing, but the amperage provided is insufficient to cause unconsciousness or significant body dysregulation.

Electrical Current and Impact

The 50000 volts in a Taser are responsible for the initial “spark” that passes through clothing to skin. It is the amperage, however, that delivers the sensation of a shock. The amperage in a police Taser is so low that it is equivalent to a fraction of the brain's signaling strength, which means it would be nowhere near enough to harm the heart or disable a pacemaker. Therefore, a Taser does not transmit through bone or other tissues beyond the basic connection points, making it highly unlikely to affect other individuals in the vicinity.

Deployment and Safety Concerns

For a person grabbing to be affected by a Taser, they would need to have a probe attached to them. If both probes are on one person, the electricity won't travel through any other person because the circuit would be longer and less direct. However, scenarios where one person holds one probe and another person holds the other probe while linking arms, can theoretically disable multiple individuals simultaneously. This, however, is a highly controlled and safe environment, like a training session. In a public protest or demonstration, one Taser can potentially disable everyone in a human chain across a freeway, provided the deployer is skilled and the conditions are right.

Exceptions and Ethical Considerations

While theoretically, a person near a Tasered individual could feel the effects, in reality, the likelihood is low. In a situation where a person is grabbed and both probes are on them, they might experience a slight tingle but nothing more severe. Additionally, if a Tasered person is fighting back, they will likely resume action as soon as the shock stops, requiring another 5-second delivery if needed. Officers may use Tasers in situations where lives are at risk, such as during a dangerous protest or civil unrest, where multiple people need to be incapacitated quickly.

Conclusion

Understanding how electricity works and the mechanics of a Taser can help clarify the effectiveness and limitations of these devices. While a Taser can be a powerful tool in certain situations, its impact is highly concentrated and directed, making it unlikely to affect bystanders unless they are directly in contact with the probes.