4 ms·

if police are about to shoot, and have good cause to, then it would seem reasonable that they be allowed to use sleep gas or tranquilizer, similar to what docto

if police are about to shoot, and have good cause to, then it would seem reasonable that they be allowed to use sleep gas or tranquilizer, similar to what doctors use during operation. Seems better than killing them. Downside could be lawsuites against the police for "damages" that the sleep gas caused.

trvrsalom 10y ago
As nice as it would be to have a reliable nonlethal alternative to firearms, there simply are no nonlethal weapons capable of stopping someone who is presenting an immediate threat. Tranquilizers and anesthesia are administered by an anesthesiologist, a doctor trained to determine a dosage based on a person's body mass. Too much of a dose, or even administering it too quickly can cause serious complications, or even death. Even under the controlled environment of an operating room 1/20 patients die under full anesthesia a year. Sadly, the most reliable method of stopping a person presenting a threat is with a firearm.
- duaneb 10y ago
  I mean nukes are reliable too. Doesn't mean they should be used. The culture of lethal force means innocent people die.
- rfrey 10y ago
  Could you clarify what you mean by 1/20 patients dying? I looked at http://patient.info/health/anaesthesia-death-or-brain-damage http://patient.info/health/anaesthesia-death-or-brain-damage and it said the risk of death (England and Wales) was 1/100,000 full anesthetics.
  - pyromine 10y ago
    Definitely questioning that 1/20 figure, I had full anesthesia with a surgery earlier this year and I'm pretty sure I'd be informed of that kind of risk.
- walrus01 10y ago
  For reference, what happens when you use "knock out gas" in a contained space: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_theater_hostage_crisis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_theater_hostage_crisi...
  - dTal 10y ago
    ...everyone's reliably incapacitated, and most people survive? (potentially everyone with adequate medical care which was not provided in that situation) That seems strictly better than shooting to kill.
    - pavel_lishin 10y ago
      130 out of 850 people died. That's a 1 in 6 casualty rate - about what you'd get playing Russian roulette.
roywiggins 10y ago
"Sleeping gas" isn't safe. Look up the Moscow theater hostage crisis. A dose enough to knock out an adult might easily kill a child.

trvrsalom 10y ago

As nice as it would be to have a reliable nonlethal alternative to firearms, there simply are no nonlethal weapons capable of stopping someone who is presenting an immediate threat. Tranquilizers and anesthesia are administered by an anesthesiologist, a doctor trained to determine a dosage based on a person's body mass. Too much of a dose, or even administering it too quickly can cause serious complications, or even death. Even under the controlled environment of an operating room 1/20 patients die under full anesthesia a year. Sadly, the most reliable method of stopping a person presenting a threat is with a firearm.

duaneb 10y ago
I mean nukes are reliable too. Doesn't mean they should be used. The culture of lethal force means innocent people die.
rfrey 10y ago
Could you clarify what you mean by 1/20 patients dying? I looked at http://patient.info/health/anaesthesia-death-or-brain-damage http://patient.info/health/anaesthesia-death-or-brain-damage and it said the risk of death (England and Wales) was 1/100,000 full anesthetics.
- pyromine 10y ago
  Definitely questioning that 1/20 figure, I had full anesthesia with a surgery earlier this year and I'm pretty sure I'd be informed of that kind of risk.
walrus01 10y ago
For reference, what happens when you use "knock out gas" in a contained space: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_theater_hostage_crisis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_theater_hostage_crisi...
- dTal 10y ago
  ...everyone's reliably incapacitated, and most people survive? (potentially everyone with adequate medical care which was not provided in that situation) That seems strictly better than shooting to kill.
  - pavel_lishin 10y ago
    130 out of 850 people died. That's a 1 in 6 casualty rate - about what you'd get playing Russian roulette.

roywiggins 10y ago

"Sleeping gas" isn't safe. Look up the Moscow theater hostage crisis. A dose enough to knock out an adult might easily kill a child.