The shotguns that Fairfax County police officers used to carry around in their cruisers were almost never used. That's why leaders of Virginia's largest local police department recently converted all those shotguns into less-lethal weapons.
Deputy Chief Brook Wright says they now shoot beanbags. "It's not a game of cornhole. It's going to knock you down or cause impact that's going to surprise or stun. It will cause pain," Wright admits. "It's going to leave a mark. But officers are trained to hit large muscle groups or maybe even extremities like your arms that may be holding a weapon."
John Jones at the Virginia Sheriffs' Association says these weapons are often much more useful than traditional shotguns.
"Keep in mind that if you are using a shotgun it's usually buckshot and it's going to spray a pattern of buckshot wherever you aim it. So the beanbag will come into use in close proximity or inside of a building, even in some of the jails. So the beanbag technology is excellent."
Beanbag rounds have been used in some circumstances in the past like standoff situations where suspects do not have firearms.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
