Cell Phone Stun Guns Give You The Element of Surprise

If you are attacked, the element of surprise can give you the advantage over the confrontation. That's why a cell phone stun gun can help you with that advantage.

Cell phone stun guns are designed to look like ordinary cell phones. Most look like Blackberry's or hand held daily organizers.

Because they look like harmless cell phones, it will be easy to surprise an attacker. Remember, the purpose of this stun gun or any other non-lethal self defense products, is to give you time to escape. Don't stand around to see if the attacker is going to get back up. Use it, then run for safety.

Cincinnati Woman Uses Her TASER Against Attacker

BY JENNIFER BAKER • JBAKER@ENQUIRER.COM • JANUARY 14, 2010

A woman grabbed by a man Wednesday night at the main library in downtown Cincinnati used a Taser stun gun on him before he was arrested, police said.

Aaron Crutcher, 20, was booked into the Hamilton County jail just before 8:30 p.m. on two counts of assault and one count each of disorderly conduct and menacing.

According to Cincinnati police, he grabbed a woman at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, 800 Vine St.

She happened to be armed with a Taser stun gun, which she fired at him, records show. He began punching her in the chest.

Library security personnel and Cincinnati police intervened and took him into custody. He screamed and threatened the woman and library staff, court records show.

Taser International, which supplies 15,000 law enforcement agencies with equipment, markets a new model of its stun gun designed for use by private citizens.

It’s small enough at 6 inches long and weighing about 7 ounces to be stashed in a purse or backpack, according to the Arizona-based company’s Web site. The Taser C2 ranges in cost from $299 to $349. It’s less powerful than the police version.

Some states, including Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and New York, ban private citizens from owning Taser stun guns, according to Taser International.

Taser International has sold more than 205,000 stun guns for private citizens since 1994, said Steve Tuttle, spokesman for Taser International.

If the woman doesn’t receive her Taser back from police, the company will replace it for free, he said.

“As long as it’s used in self-defense properly, it’s covered with a lifetime warranty,” he said.

Safety With Stun Guns

Stun guns are small electrical devices that provide personal protection for those who carry them. They are non-lethal under most circumstances and are often carried by women who want an extra measure of protection when they are alone.

In areas where stun guns are legal, there are generally no licensing requirements and no courses are offered in stun gun safety. This makes it important for each stun gun owner to take the time to familiarize themselves with the way stun guns work and how they should handle their stun gun for the most effective personal protection.

The first thing to do when a stun gun is purchased is to look over the device itself to become familiar with the important components. The button that activates the electric current should be located as well as the two contact probes that dispense this current. The probes are what will be held against an attacker in order to deliver the shock to them. Knowing exactly where they are will prevent the stun gun owner from accidentally shocking themselves when using it or testing it. Be sure to stay away from the contact probes, never touching them in order to avoid an accident.

Once these key parts are identified, the owner should make sure that the battery has enough power. Testing the stun gun periodically by holding it in the air and pushing the button will let the owner know whether the battery is still good. Having a stun gun with a dead battery can be dangerous for those who count on their stun guns for protection.

If a situation arises that calls for the use of the stun gun against an assailant, the stun gun must be close at hand in order to grab it quickly and use it. Plan out a place to keep it for just this type of emergency. Keeping it in a pocket or held onto the wrist with a strap will keep it close by. In a real emergency, there will be no time to dig through a bag to find the stun gun and prevent someone from committing violence.

Before discharging the electric current, make sure that your fingers or any other part of your body are not in contact with the current probes. The object is to shock the other person to allow the stun gun holder to get away. If both parties are shocked, the stun gun user may not get away safely.

The assailant holding on to the stun gun owner does not mean that the current will pass through both parties. Only direct contact with the probes will cause a shock. If the stun gun owners can’t shock the assailant without shocking themselves, they should wait for an opportune moment to do so instead of risking a shock to themselves. Some owners have scared away attackers simply by holding their stun guns in the air and activating the current. This may work in a situation where the attacker can’t be reached with the stun gun.