TigerLight Prevents Sudden Attack on Tulsa Officer

Heber City, Utah—July 28, 2008

TigerLight, Inc, manufacturer of the TigerLight® Non-Lethal Defense  System flashlights has stated repeatedly that the TigerLight® is the best solution for protecting officers against close proximity sudden attacks. 

According to the FBI Report over 57,000 officers are assaulted every year.  The following email received by TigerLight from Tulsa, Oklahoma police officer Anthony First illustrates why every officer should be equipped with a TigerLight® to empower officers to survive such attacks without injury or death.

As related by Officer Anthony First: “This particular event played out just as the sun was going down one evening this past spring.   For the past ten years, I have worked in an area well known for illegal drugs, gangs, and the violence that accompanies both.  On this particular night, we were called to investigate a man who was acting suspiciously in a parking lot.  I arrived first to find that the suspect was a man with whom we make contact several times a week.  He is what we call a “smoker” and an old one at that.  At about 40 years old, he spends all day, everyday, walking around our area moving from one high to the next.  In all of our contacts, though, he had never once been violent with us choosing instead to play the role of the “polite old man”.  On this particular night he chose a different path. 

I am embarrassed to say that when I contacted him, I made an all-too-common error.  Based on the dozens of previous contacts I had with this man, I let my guard down a bit and got a bit too close to him.  Without giving any warning indicators, he suddenly exploded on me going from the “polite old man” to near frothing-at-the-mouth lunatic.  He screamed and rushed me with outstretched arms trying to grab me.  Fortunately, I had my TigerLight in my off-gun hand ready to go. 

Because we were so close, I had barely enough time to sidestep a bit, knock one of his arms down, and bring my TigerLight down into position to spray.  The result was that I blocked his grab at me while at the same time spraying him point-blank across his face as he passed.  When I say point-blank, I mean that his nose rubbed across the fingers holding my TigerLight.  The sheer force of the spray as it left the TigerLight caused him to stumble and plow himself face-first into the asphalt knocking out two of his front teeth.  Even with a bloody mouth the suspect was trying to get back up to reengage me when the thermal effects of the OC kicked in.  At this point, his fight was over.  He managed to get halfway up only to fall right back down and begin rubbing his face on the parking lot asphalt trying to decontaminate himself.  He was handcuffed without incident.

On this evening, the TigerLight saved me from my own complacency.  We never did figure out why he assaulted me but it doesn’t really matter.  What does matter is that, thanks to my TigerLight, I went home to my family that night alive and injury free.