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Legality of Brandishing a Stun Gun in AZ (Facts Only, No Opinions)?
***Question Specific to the State of Arizona*** Laws outside of AZ not pertinent. Commentary and opinion, not pertinent.
Hey there. I'm familiar with many of Arizona's laws regarding firearms, but I know very little about non-lethal weapon laws, specifically concerning things like tasers and stun guns.
My question is this: In Arizona specifically, when is it legal or illegal to brandish (not use, simply brandish) a stun gun? If a potential assailant approaches, can it be pulled out or sparked as warning? Must imminent threat be perceived, as required with a firearm? Could you provide any reputable sources for information regarding the subject?
Please provide any links to pertinent statutes, if possible. Please note: I am NOT looking for opinion or commentary. I am looking only for legal information specific to the state of Arizona. Thank you for your time, I'll be quick to award a Best Answer.
Thank you. You made a great point about the misconstrued aggression angle, which I hadn't considered. I was primarily concerned with holstered stun guns. I'm 24, female, and live in a somewhat questionable area (and frequently have to use a poorly lit parking garage). A few times since living here, I've been rapidly approached in the night. Twice it was just someone asking for money, or directions, but the last encounter kind of shook me up.
I have a CCW, but both my college and place of employment prohibit firearms, so I rarely carry. Also, I wouldn't risk a "brandishing a firearm" charge over a potentially aggressive approach. But I'm not ok with a big dark figure speeding towards me in the night. I look for aggressive stance and expression, whether they are armed, whether I am, in fact, their focus, or they are actually only speeding past me, whether they are drugged up or sober... But all of these factors that would justify imminent danger
are difficult to assess in the dark, until an assailant is within a few feet. That leaves little time for deployment.
I am definitely not the jumpy or reckless type, but being raised in a law enforcement family, I'm a little more concerned than most. I'd like to know if I could more readily pull out a stun gun as precaution without risking any sort of menacing or brandishing a weapon charge, as might occur with a firearm.
4 Answers
- 8 years agoFavorite Answer
Laws "outside AZ", as in 'Federal Law', too?
Also, are we talking about a full-on, carried in a side holster, dual purpose contact and/or projectile stun gun or a simple keychain, accidently - zaps - your - leg -from - inside - your - pocket stun gun?
If it's the keychain, you can carry it openly in hand at all times. After all, you do need your keys in the near future, right?
The holster option; most times just openly carrying it will deter a crime. If you're approached, directly and your your life is in danger, pull and fire. No warnings.
A warning "zap" isn't quite as dangerous as squeezing off a .45cal round in the air to ward off an attacker (illegal;) but, it could be misconstrued as an aggressive action and the person [who wasn't actually going to attack you] may attack you in self-defense.
Legally, you have the right to defend yourself, Federally. Just don't be showy.
[Edit: something weird happened with my words...]
Source(s): xPD - Anonymous5 years ago
Not sure what the weapons laws are exactly in Canada, but down here, police need to carry guns. The vast majority of police do not abuse that power and follow the strictest of guidelines for when to use them, how to use them, and on who. I have no problem with stun guns either. I honestly think they should carry both. Problem is, those who were sypathizing with those people who got shot (who most of the time did someting that would warrant that resul) demanded that police use tasers and stun guns instead because it's more humane. Now that a lot of cops are doing that, those same people are complaining that too many people are getting tasered. Then what, should cops carry Nerf guns so it doesn't hurt the person when they try to apprehend them? The same people that the cops are shooting and zapping are the very one's they are protecting everyone from, and the vast majority of the time, they deserve it. It's just that once in a while there will be an instance of abuse and it makes national news and become a faux crisis because the media decides it should be. I say nuts to that. Give the police more weapons and resouces so they can do their jobs. If some idiot who decides to run gets tasered, I say he just got what was coming to him.
