"The preliminary findings indicate that having an ability to quickly employ pepper spray directly from a flashlight rather than retrieving it from a belt has resulted in a reduction in more significant force. One of the units using the TigerLight experienced as much as a 32% reduction!” says LASD Commander Charles “Sid” Heal.
Heal and Chief Bill McSweeney worked with TigerLight CEO Michael Teig and Mark Correia, PhD, to structure the scientific study with Lt. Rich Daniels as Project Coordinator. TigerLight donated 500 TigerLight Non-Lethal Defense Systems to deputies for the study. Participation was voluntary by the deputies.
TigerLight master trainers Randy Butler, Randy Teig (TigerLight inventor), and Assistant Trainer Marshall Luton conducted an eight-hour Train The Trainer Course at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Training Academy in Whittier, Calif., under the direction and supervision of LASD Sergeants John Mack and Bryan Proctor. Each of the 500 deputies then received a condensed version of the training course.
In 52 incidents involving 146 subjects, the rapid response and multi-subject capability of the TigerLight Non-Lethal Defense System helped prevent serious injuries to deputies and subjects including a nurse taken hostage by an inmate and another incident involving a knife wielding man who, under lethal cover by deputies, would not comply with commands to drop his knife.
The TigerLight enables deputies to have non-lethal force in one hand and lethal force in the other, providing a much quicker and more effective low-level response to an act of aggression while giving the deputy far greater discretion as to what level of force he or she uses.
“This translates to lives being saved, injuries and liability reduced, and a significant financial savings to the county,” says TigerLight CEO, Michael Teig. “There is still a lot of data analysis to be done, but we believe, when all is said and done, that the numbers will clearly indicate that the department-wide integration of the TigerLight Non-Lethal Defense System would save LASD millions of dollars a year.”
“We have known for years that the TigerLight” Non-Lethal Defense System, due to its stealth nature, its instant response, multi-subject capability, and the fact that it enables the simultaneous synergistic application of lethal and non-lethal force, would have a big impact. Now we have good, solid proof,” says Teig. There was also a 43-percent decrease in subject complaints of excessive force.
The TigerLight is lightweight, powerful and rechargeable, yielding up to 375 lumens of blinding light and a highly potent blast of pepper spray, including several of the most favored brands. Guardian PD pepper spray from Guardian Protective Devices was used in the LASD study.
For more information visit www.tigerlight.net or call 1-888-701-4500 for a free department training demo.