‘The much longer, faster-firing barbs raise the possibility of serious unintended injuries, with children at particular risk’ - Oliver Feeley-Sprague 

Amnesty International UK has warned that the new “Taser 10” (T10) electro-shock weapon carries a set of new risks, with the potential for serious unintended injuries and misuse, against a backdrop of police disproportionality and poor accountability. 

With fresh BBC footage exposing officers misusing force and making racist and misogynistic remarks, giving police a 10-shot “super Taser” without first strengthening the rules to limit Taser use to genuinely life-threatening situations is fundamentally dangerous.

Despite being a member of the independent advisory group to the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on Tasers, Amnesty’s policing expert Oliver Feeley-Sprague said neither he nor other members of the group had been able to review documents detailing the testing, evaluation or medical evidence prepared ahead of today’s announcement that the Home Office has authorised Taser 10. 

Oliver Feeley-Sprague, Amnesty International UK’s policing expert and a member of the independent advisory group to the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on Tasers, said: 

“Calling this a ‘safer’ Taser is misleading. A weapon that can fire ten times carries a real risk of overuse and serious injury yet even the independent advisory group hasn’t been allowed to see the safety evidence. 

“There is little point having a scrutiny body when it’s denied access to the very documents it needs to scrutinise. 

“And with fresh BBC footage showing officers misusing force and making racist and misogynistic remarks, the idea of rolling out a 10-shot Taser without first strengthening the safeguards around its use is profoundly alarming.

“The much longer, faster-firing barbs raise the possibility of serious unintended injuries, with children at particular risk, including from facial or eye injuries. 

“The police already have a disturbing record of misusing Tasers, disproportionately targeting people from minority ethnic communities and those in mental health crisis. Official figures show Black people are around five times more likely to be Tasered than white people. 

“Against this backdrop of misuse and over-use, a comprehensive review of official guidance on police Taser use is now absolutely essential. That review must be a priority and treated with urgency to ensure Tasers are only ever used in genuinely life-threatening situations.” 

 Explainer: What’s different about the Taser 10? 

• It has 10 probes with longer barbs, but maximum of 4 charges at any time - unlike older models, the T10 requires two separate firings for full effect, making it more complex to use and demanding extensive retraining for all officers. 
• Reduced voltage (maximum 1,000 volts - current models T7 and X2 deliver 50,000 volts) - presented as a safety improvement, but misleading: the weapon remains potentially lethal, especially when misused, and still causes excruciating pain.
• Dangerous drive stun function removed - unlike older models, the T10 cannot be applied in “drive stun” mode, where the weapon is pressed directly against the target to shock them, causing extreme pain but not incapacitation. Removing drive stun mode is a very welcome development, meaning the weapon can only be used as a stand-off weapon in dart firing mode. 
• Longer, sharper probes - significantly longer barbed spikes, fired with more force, designed to penetrate heavy clothing. 
• Different injury risks - the more forceful barbs increase the chance of serious injuries, particularly if they strike sensitive areas such as the face or eyes, raising particular concerns for children. 

ENDS

Amnesty media contact information:

Beth Herzfeld - media@amnesty.org.uk / Out of hours: 07721 398 984