Arkansas State Troopers attempted to pull over a motorcyclist with no license plate who refused to stop and led them on a lengthy high speed chase. After turning into a residential area, the rider jumps off the bike and attempts to run on foot. One officer attempts to use an electro conductive weapon on the suspect as he runs striking him with the probes in the back. One of the probes hits a gallon of gasoline that he was carrying in a backpack immediately engulfing the rider in flames.

If they’d only had a Byrna… the officer would not only have been able to engage the suspect from a greater distance but there would have been no risk of the suspect spontaneously combusting from the use of an ECW. This is not the first time that a suspect covered in a combustible substance has ignited after being struck with the probes of an ECW and is just another aspect that officers have to take into account before they use that type of force.

Byrna launchers and .68 caliber projectiles have proven to be one of the safest and most effective uses of force for the widest array of situations, so when you are choosing how to defend YOURSELF, be smart, be safe, and be prepared to defend.