A Brighton-based company is introducing what it bills as the world’s first non-lethal “smart bullets” that disable assailants without striking them.
said the bullets, fired from a 12-gauge shotgun, can be loaded with “flash-bang” materials or pepper spray. The rounds have microsensors that deploy the disabling materials milliseconds before reaching the attacker.
“They don’t actually hit the target,” said Nick Verini, founder and CEO of SmartRounds Technology. “That’s important because even so-called non-lethal bullets can still be lethal if they hit a person.”
Unlike conventional delivery systems for that require relatively close proximity to intended targets, the SmartRounds have a range of 100 yards when fired from a shotgun.
Verini said he has developed prototypes of the bullets but they are not yet in commercial production. He recently launched a crowd- in an effort to raise $500,000.
He has held informal discussions with military officials, but he sees law enforcement as the biggest potential market.
“Our smart bullets will forever change the landscape for the use of non-lethal weapons by military forces, law enforcement and others worldwide,” Verini said. “When it is necessary to use SmartRounds, the community and law enforcement will have peace of mind that there will likely not be fatal consequences.”
The company’s announcement comes after a number of
“There seems to be a groundswell of support for non-lethal weaponry that police might use in those situations where deadly force is authorized under the law,” said Joseph Sandoval, a criminal justice professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Sandoval said law enforcement agencies will probably be cautious in their assessment of the high-tech rounds, waiting for commercial production and extensive testing.
William Johnson, executive director of the Alexandria, Va.-based National Association of Police Organizations, described the smart bullets as “an interesting concept.”
“On the one hand, many law enforcement agencies may be intrigued by the company’s assurance of delivery of an incapacitating blow without actually striking the subject,” he said. “On the other hand, I think some agencies may also want to learn more before they invest in new technology.”
Verini said that upon commercial production, the rounds might sell for about $50 each. That’s far more than a conventional shotgun shell, but less than the cost to reload a Taser, Verini said.
Steve Raabe: 303-954-1948, sraabe@denverpost.com or twitter.com/steveraabedp
