March 2023 Blues Vol 39 No. 3

PepperBall, the only

PepperBall, the only product on the market qualified to be called NON-LETHAL. PNEUMATIC AIR LAUNCHERS AND PAVA PRO- JECTILES — WHAT THEY ARE Pneumatic air launchers are similar to air powered paintball guns and pose minimal risk to either the user or the suspect. Pneumatic air launchers are not guns or firearms and typically deploy .68 caliber projectiles. The leading company is the space is Pepper- Ball®, the only product on the market with a near-zero fatality rate and qualified to be called NON-LETHAL. PepperBall is a non-lethal disabling-irritant delivery system that uses high-pressure air or CO2 to deliver proprietary PAVA powder projectiles from a safe distance. The PepperBall projectiles are designed to break and release the temporarily incapacitating compound in a powder cloud. The kinetic impact of PepperBall is one-tenth that of 12 gauge drag- stabilized or 37/40 mm foam less-lethal munitions. PEPPERBALL ADDS A SAFE, NON-FIREARM OPTION TO AGENCIES’ ARSENAL. PepperBall combines proprietary PAVA-based irritant exposure with the capability to also deliver a moderate kinetic impact. In contrast to less-lethal 12 gauge and 37/40 mm munitions, the PepperBall round weighs only 3.0-3.4 grams and hits the body at 10-12 foot-pounds, similar to the kinetics of a recreational paintball marker. This greatly reduces the possibility of serious injury by a direct impact. PEPPERBALL IS DESIGNED TO BE USED SOON- ER AND SAFER THAN OTHER FORCE OPTIONS. When officers have only a fraction of a second to make a difficult decision, PepperBall makes the 70 The BLUES The BLUES 71