“When we talk to officers about the TigerLight® we have to tell them to forget everything they know about pepper spray because it does not apply to the TigerLight®. They usually look at us with a question on their faces. When we tell them that the TigerLight® has a 96% stop rate we normally get a blank stare or they say nothing.
We know one of two things when this happens. Either they were not listening or they do not believe what they just heard, because in their minds they know pepper spray only has a 50% to 80% stop rate in their experience and a stun device probably has a higher stop rate. This must be true because if they understood that what they just heard is actually true their response would be more like, “WOW!!! YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING. 96%!!?? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? DO YOU USE SOME KIND OF SUPER OC?
We would say “No, we use the same spray you use, but if you put it in a TigerLight® it will likely have about a 25% higher stop rate. If you are using a weak spray, it might have nearly twice the stop rate.”
“‘HOW’S THAT POSSIBLE. THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE.”
“What to you think makes the difference?” we would ask.
“THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE?”
“Well, yes that is part of it. That does create a different neurological effect, something like getting hit in the head with a brick you didn’t see coming compared to one you were prepared for. But that’s not the main reason. That is more psychological. What we are talking about is more physiological. Think about it. What causes a subject to stop, or comply?”
“PAIN. TEMPORARY BLINDNESS,” they might say, thinking about all the times guys on drugs or mentally disturbed subjects fought through pain.
“What else?”, we would ask.
They usually think for a few second and say, “RESPIRATORY EFFECT?”, thinking in their mind that it wasn’t that much of a factor in their experience, but with the Tigerlight RESPIRATORY EFFECT is the difference. The element of surprise makes it possible. Of course this is far more apparent with a cone spray than with a stream spray.
“But that is only part of the story with TigerLight®. There are two other HUGE DIFFERENCES we would say with GREAT EMPHASIS, hoping they were listening and understanding. By now they should have already realized they need to replace their flashlights with TigerLights, but we want to make the decision so blatantly obvious that anyone in their right mind, no matter how closed minded, would have to concede that the only responsible thing to to is equip every officer on the planet with TigerLights instead of flashlights. We want to make is seem absolutely ridiculous even to think of hampering officers with flashlights when TigerLIghts are available. Of course, we don’t want to offend anyone, but COME ON, lives are at stake here!!!
So we cite the 1999 NIJ Use of force study where it was determined that pepper spray on a belt is only used in one out of 50 cases it could or should be used in and we ask, “Why do you think that is true.”
Answers like, “NOT ENOUGH TIME.,” which is the main reason, but others like “LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE SPRAY, CHOSE ANOTHER DEVICE, ETC”.. are also mentioned.
The FBI study on assaults on officers points out that even with all the training, with pepper spray, stun guns, batons, etc.. over 57,000 ASSAULTS on officers occur every year and it hasn’t changed much at all with Tasers® or anything else, because the vast majority of assaults initiate from 3-6 feet, not 21 feet. The officers simply do not have time to use anything else, so on average, 156 OFFICERS GET ASSAULTED EVERY DAY. We point out that these are not attempted assaults. The subject actually got to the officer before he was able to respond with incapacitating force.
Now, it they are listening, they start to really see the picture and the need for the TigerLight®. By now they should be thinking about how much it will cost to equip and train all the officers on the department, but there are still skeptics, because that’s just the way people are. There are those still trying to classify these FACTS as nothing more than a sales pitch. At this point the nay-sayer might make any number comments such as “IT”S TOO BIG. THE SWITCH IS IN THE WRONG PLACE.”
We then explain the genius behind the design and placement of the switch and spray actuator and how the design eliminates accidental discharges, dramatically increases response time and effectiveness and perfectly assimilates the natural psychological and physiological response to a sudden act of aggression.
To illustrate we explain how deploying the spray is exactly like throwing a punch or blocking a blow, which makes it far more apt to be successfully deployed in a close proximity sudden attack.
Then we explain that we haven’t even mentioned what special operations, based on a DOD memo consider the most important factor affecting their choice to go with the TigerLight®. The TigerLight enables “THE SIMULTANEOUS SYNERGISTIC APPLICATION OF LETHAL AND NON-LETHAL FORCE. It is the only weapon that allows the officer to have his flashlight in hand, his spray and his gun and be able to instantly transition from lethal to non-lethal and eliminate the concern over “BRINGING OC TO A GUN FIGHT.”
This creates a LONG LIST OF TACTICAL ADVANTAGES not achieved with any other weapon nor any amount of training. One of these is NON-LETHAL ASSISTED TACTICAL DISENGAGEMENT.
Case in point: When Sgt. Randy Teig approached the driver’s side of a vehicle with two men in it and officer Braskett, approaching the passenger side yelled “GUN!” Sgt. Teig did not know where the gun was, who had it and what was being done with it, but he did have a TigerLight® in his off-gun hand. At the same time Braskett yelled “GUN!” the driver’s door kicked open.
Sgt. Teig, knowing a bullet may be coming his way immediately ran for cover, drawing his weapon at the same time. But in this case he was able to do one other thing he would never have been able to do without the TigerLight® Non-Lethal Defense System. At the same time he started to run for cover, drawing his weapon, he also, in a split second, let loose a blast of pepper spray into the opening door incapacitating the driver and the passenger, getting cover behind the engine block of his car with weapon drawn. But lethal force was not necessary as both subjects were incapacitated, Subsequent interview with the subject revealed the passenger intended to kill Sgt. Teig and the driver wanted nothing to do with killing a cop and was getting out of the car.
Did he take OC to a GUN fight? NO, because the gun fight never had a chance to develop, thanks to the response time of the TigerLight®. Did he risk his safety using OC on a guy with a gun? NO, he increased his safety. He did not give up anything? NO, he gained an advantage. He lessened the subjects ability to engage in a gun fight. He did not choose to use OC in place of his gun. He used OC before he could ever have used his gun, but still drew his gun just as he would have without the OC.
By now those with an open mind are really starting to get the picture and have dispelled most all there mistaken notions regarding the TigerLight®. But the most important part hasn’t taken place. ABout this time we take the attendees through an intense series of tactical scenarios in which they are forced to make split second decisions about whether to draw their gun, baton, spray, stun device or whether to spray, shoot, take cover, etc.. In some situations the correct decision is to use lethal force. In others, it’s to use non-lethal force on two individuals, and then transition to lethal force on a third person, etc. In another situation a stun device is the clear choice. By the time they are through with these scenarios, they do not want to go on the streets without a TigerLight....period....and they shouldn’t.
