Injuries Produced by Law Enforcement Use of Less Lethal Weapons: A Prospective Multi-center Trial
Study Information
PROBLEM: The development and implementation of less lethal weapons (LLW) technology has been a tremendous step forward in increasing police officer and suspect safety while decreasing injuries and deaths due to police use of force. It is well known that LLWs can, in some instances, cause significant injuries and even deaths. However the epidemiology of injuries related to use of these weapons remains unknown.
METHODS: This independent prospective multi-center trial will involve up to 12 qualifying law-enforcement agencies across the nation that utilize less lethal kinetic impact munitions and electrical incapacitation devices (TASERS). A tactical physician already affiliated with the law enforcement agency will review the agency’s use of force reports for each use. The physician will identify and classify any injuries sustained, complete a de-identified case report form, and submit the form to the central study site at Wake Forest University.
OUTCOME MEASURES: The central study site database will be analyzed to determine the percentage of suspects who suffer injuries after less lethal weapon deployment, and the severity of those injuries. This will be the first study of its kind, featuring physician review of 100 percent of LLW uses in the participating agencies
Contact the Study Staff:
LLWstudy@wfubmc.edu
Principal Investigator: William P. Bozeman, MD, FACEP
Study Coordinator: Anita Hege, RN, MPH
Latest News
- Site selections have been made. We are delighted to have sites ranging from small to large and located across the country. This representative sample of different types of agencies and locations will allow study results to be extrapolated to many other agencies.
- Most sites have already received approval from their local research oversight boards, and site investigators have begun injury surveillance after LLW uses.
- The central study database at Wake Forest is receiving case reports. Preliminary results will not be available. Scheduled interim analyses will be performed for safety assessments.
Downloads
LLW Study Information Brochure (PowerPoint) Formatted to print on standard 8.5 X 11" paper
LLW Study Site Application (MS Word)
Links
NTOA www.ntoa.org
NIJ Less-Than-Lethal Technologies Program www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/sciencetech/text/tltl.htm
ACEP www.acep.org
SAEM www.saem.org
NAEMSP www.naemsp.org
ITEMS www.tems.org