Alternative Ballistics has presented "The Alternative," a pistol accessory that helps police officers fire the first round 50 percent slower, which hurts but avoids killing the suspect.
Experience shows that wildly shot bullets tend to go further than intended and can go as far as 1,000 feet. This realization and the unfortunate cases of lethal interaction between cops and innocent civilians convinced researchers that no effort is too much to keep that from happening.
"The Alternative" acts as a one-use bullet speed modifier and is small enough to be carried around at the belt of every police officer. It is easy to attach it to the barrel of the gun. The orange plastic support hooks up easily to the weapon. After installing it, the first bullet fired attaches itself to a ping pong-sized metal alloy ball that is propelled forward by the bullet's force.
The good news is, the accuracy remains the same, but since the ball is far larger than the bullet, the impact on the suspect will not cause piercing wounds. Fractures and small depth traumas are still possible, but the reduced penetration guarantees an increased survival rate. In most books, "heavily bruised" is preferable to "dead."
The company states that after using the device, the bullet travels at only one-fifth of its initial speed. The next rounds in the magazine will travel at their standard speed.
Installing the device is simple and quick enough; it can be inserted into the existing firearm with little to no cost.
Opinions are divided on how practical "The Alternative" really is. Some suggest that in a quick-draw scenario, where a policeman is in danger, the extra second it takes to load the gadget could be perilous for the law enforcer. For stand-offs and similar situations, it seems that a non-lethal round is preferable and could actually be used to save lives.
With nearly 1,500 police killings reported in the U.S. between January 2014 and April 2015, any device that puts a damper on the rate may be helpful. For those who never again want to see the cases of Michael Brown, Walter Scott and Akai Gurley happening, "The Alternative" offers hope.
Watch the video below to see how it works:
