# Pepper Spray vs. Stun Guns or Tasers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-spray-vs-stun-guns-or-tasers/693747 "2014-07-22T16:20:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-spray-vs-stun-guns-or-tasers/693747/1 "2014-07-22T16:20:36Z")
OK, I sometimes try to write short stories as a hobby, and I have set up a situation in which an attempted bank robbery goes awry and the cops and SWAT team show up. The robber tries to take the protag hostage and use her as a human shield while making demands of the police, but unbeknownst to the robber, the protag has (pepper spray/a stun gun/a taser) and manages to incapacitate the robber. So my questions are: 1. Would using a taser or stun gun on someone who is in physical contact with you result in your getting shocked into a blubbering mass as well? 2. Would the taser/stun gun be far less effective if the robber had on, say, a thick long-sleeved shirt on underneath something like a heavy canvas jacket? 3. Given that (1) or (2) might be true, would pepper spray be the most realistic method of the three at temporarily disabling the robber? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-spray-vs-stun-guns-or-tasers/693747/2 "2014-07-22T17:06:32Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > 1. Would using a taser or stun gun on someone who is in physical contact with you result in your getting shocked into a blubbering mass as well? Yes. I’ve seen footage of cops wrestling with a suspect at the moment that the suspect was tased by another officer; the wrestling cop got zapped too. This reminds me of a demonstration that I participated in a high school physics class. The teacher had a machine for generating static electricity. Half the class formed a chain attached to one electrode, and the other half of the class formed a second chain attached to the second electrode. The machine was turned on, creating a high-voltage potential between the two human chains. The individuals at the end of each chain reached toward each other, and when their fingers got within a certain distance, a big ol’ spark jumped between them, and _all_ of us felt a violent jolt and screamed simultaneously. > [@](#): > > 1. Would the taser/stun gun be far less effective if the robber had on, say, a thick long-sleeved shirt on underneath something like a heavy canvas jacket? I think the voltage produced by the taser device is pretty high, capable of arcing across a pretty big gap. Heavy canvas, being extremely porous, would be inadequate. In my place of employment, we have electrical workers who are specifically trained to deal with high-voltage systems (480+ VAC). Before opening a cabinet containing such high voltage, they have to put on a bunch of protective equipment. One of the items is a pair of thick rubber gloves; before donning these gloves, they are inspected for pinhole damage, because even a tiny hole can allow a path for high voltage to arc to the wearer’s hand. Bottom line? If you want to protect someone from a taser, they will need to wear a heavy rubber suit that is free of any tears or punctures in the vicinity of the taser probes. The only other protection would be a garment that prevents the barbed tips of the electrode-darts from hooking in, allowing them to fall harmlessly to the floor. Not knowing much about those darts (other than that they do have a barbed tip), I’m at a loss to suggest what would reliably deflect them, other than maybe chain mail. > [@](#): > > 1. Given that (1) or (2) might be true, would pepper spray be the most realistic method of the three at temporarily disabling the robber? I would not suggest using pepper spray on an assailant who is presently in possession of a loaded firearm; he will still be able to pull the trigger, and if you’re anywhere nearby, you stand a good chance of getting hit. Even assuming (1) and/or (2) are true, I’d still suggest the taser. You may get zapped, but so will the perp, if you can aim for a location on his body that isn’t protected (neck, hands, face, etc.). Incapacitation is immediate and total, and they will be reeling in pain for a short time after the shocks end; this could provide adequate time for the police to move in and gain control. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-spray-vs-stun-guns-or-tasers/693747/3 "2014-07-22T20:22:34Z")
Thanks, Machine Elf!