Police stun guns: stun guns, risks, TASER 7 and increasing use

The [[HTMLTAG0]] Police electroshock weapon, often referred to as the [[HTMLTAG1]] stun gun [[HTMLTAG2]] or the [[HTMLTAG3]] taser [[HTMLTAG4]], has quickly gone from experimental operations to standard equipment in the Swedish external service. From 2024, at least one police officer in each patrol or group would carry taser weapons on external duty as per PMFS 2021:4. That has made the weapon visible in more interventions, more notifications and more border cases. [[HTMLTAG5]]] [[HTMLTAG6]]] [[HTMLTAG7]]] [[HTMLTAG8]] Have you been subjected to excessive force by police? [[HTMLTAG9]]] In case of acute danger or ongoing threat, call 112. This guide is information and documentation support, not emergency legal advice or crisis support. [[HTMLTAG10]]] [[HTMLTAG11]]] Seek care if you have injuries and ask that the injuries be documented in the medical record. Save original footage, photos, testimonials, and timeline before posting anything. [[HTMLTAG12]]] [[HTMLTAG13]]] Support is available at [[HTMLTAG14]] Crime Victim Support [[HTMLTAG15]], [[HTMLTAG16]]] Crime Victim Authority [[HTMLTAG17]]] and in case of intimate violence at [[HTMLTAG18]]] Kvinnofridsletlinen [[HTMLTAG19]]]. If you are under the age of 18, you can also contact [[HTMLTAG20]] Bris [[HTMLTAG21]]]. [[HTMLTAG22]]] /aside > [[HTMLTAG23]]] What is a stun gun? [[HTMLTAG24]]] [[HTMLTAG25]]] An electroshock weapon is a handheld violence aid that can be used in two main ways: [[HTMLTAG26]]] [[HTMLTAG27]]] [[HTMLTAG28]]] [[HTMLTAG29]] Firing: The [[HTMLTAG30]] weapon fires off two projectiles/arrows stuck in thin wires. When both make contact, current can pass through the body and cause neuromuscular incapacitation, that is, the muscles temporarily lock. [[HTMLTAG31]]] [[HTMLTAG32]]] [[HTMLTAG33]] Drive shock: The [[HTMLTAG34]] weapon is pressed directly against the body and transmits current in short intervals. The effect is primarily pain and local impact, not the same distance action as a successful firing. [[HTMLTAG35]]] [[HTMLTAG36]]] [[HTMLTAG37]] Coercive: [[HTMLTAG38]] police point the weapon or use warning function to get the person to follow directions without power necessarily being passed over. [[HTMLTAG39]]] [[HTMLTAG40]]] [[HTMLTAG41]] Police describe the weapon as an intermediate position between pepper spray/baton and service pistol. The critical question is whether a new intermediate mode actually reduces more dangerous violence, or whether it also lowers the threshold for electrical violence in situations where the person is already under control. [[HTMLTAG42]]] [[HTMLTAG43]]] What makes do Swedish police use? [[HTMLTAG44]]] [[HTMLTAG45]] The procurement of Swedish electroshock weapons was made as “Conducted Energy Weapons with accessories”. Armatech AB stated in 2022 that the company, together with [[HTMLTAG46]] Axon [[HTMLTAG47]], received a multi-year framework contract to supply the [[HTMLTAG48]] TASER 7 [[HTMLTAG49]] with accessories to Swedish law enforcement, the Riksdag Administration and the Swedish Armed Forces. It is therefore reasonable to describe the police department's new stun weapon as the Axon TASER 7, delivered through ArmaTech. [[HTMLTAG50]]] [[HTMLTAG51]]] For the ownership and supplier ranks behind Armatech, Defensor Group, Flat Capital and former ÖB on Defender's board, read the related review [[HTMLTAG52]]] Armatech, Defensor and the police stun guns [[HTMLTAG53]]. [[HTMLTAG54]]] The [[HTMLTAG55]]] SVT has in several local articles described the weapon as the police's new stun weapon, stating that it emits about [[HTMLTAG56]] 50,000 volts [[HTMLTAG57]] initially. In SVT Sörmland, the police training coordinator explains that the voltage subsequently, once the circuit is established, drops to about [[HTMLTAG58]] 2,500 volts [[HTMLTAG59]]. What matters medically is not just the volt number, but the shape of the current pulse, where the arrows hit, how long the exposure lasts, the person's state of health, and whether the person falls or is restrained. [[HTMLTAG60]]] [[HTMLTAG61]]] What happens in the body? [[HTMLTAG62]]] [[HTMLTAG63]] A successful firing affects the sensory and motor nervous system. The person experiences intense pain and the muscles can lock for a few seconds. Police describe giving time to check on the person. From the perspective of the person affected, on the other hand, there is a sudden electric shock, pain, loss of body control and often the risk of falling. [[HTMLTAG64]]] [[HTMLTAG65]]] The medical risk picture consists of several layers: [[HTMLTAG66]]] [[HTMLTAG67]]] [[HTMLTAG68]]] [[HTMLTAG69]] Neuromuscular Incapacitation: The [[HTMLTAG70]] muscles can lock so that the person falls without being able to receive. [[HTMLTAG71]]] [[HTMLTAG72]]] [[HTMLTAG73]] Pain and stress exposure: [[HTMLTAG74]] The electric shock can produce strong pain, panic, hyperventilation and stress response. [[HTMLTAG75]]] [[HTMLTAG76]]] [[HTMLTAG77]] Skin and soft tissue injuries: [[HTMLTAG78]] arrows can produce wounds, burns, bleeding, or infection, especially if they hit sensitive areas. [[HTMLTAG79]]] [[HTMLTAG80]]] [[HTMLTAG81]]] Fall injuries: [[HTMLTAG82]]] head injury, fracture, tooth injury or drowning risk if the person falls from a height, in traffic, in water or on track. [[HTMLTAG83]]] [[HTMLTAG84]]] [[HTMLTAG85]] Cardiac arrhythmia risk: [[HTMLTAG86]] UK SACMILL states that rhythm disturbance, including ventricular capture and in extreme cases ventricular fibrillation, is to be seen as a risk for all electroshock weapons, especially in case of hit across the anterior chest near the heart. [[HTMLTAG87]]] [[HTMLTAG88]] [[HTMLTAG89]] Implanted cardiac devices: [[HTMLTAG90]] studies on pacemaker and implantable defibrillator describe disorders such as noise reversion, pacing inhibition, and inappropriate defibrillator reaction during exposure, although permanent damage is not always observed. [[HTMLTAG91]]] [[HTMLTAG92]]] [[HTMLTAG93]]] Prolonged or repeated exposure: [[HTMLTAG94]] multiple cycles, multiple hits or driving shocks can increase physical and mental strain. [[HTMLTAG95]]] [[HTMLTAG96]]] [[HTMLTAG97]]] Medically vulnerable people [[HTMLTAG98]]] [[HTMLTAG99]]] Risks are not evenly distributed. An electric shock to a healthy, standing adult in a controlled environment is anything other than an electric shock to a sick, drunk, pregnant, thin, elderly, or restrained person in chaos. Particularly vulnerable groups and situations are: [[HTMLTAG100]]] [[HTMLTAG101]]] [[HTMLTAG102]]] [[HTMLTAG103]] Heart disease: [[HTMLTAG104]]] known rhythm disturbance, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, or other structural heart disease can make an electrical impact and stress reaction more dangerous. [[HTMLTAG105]]] [[HTMLTAG106]]] [[HTMLTAG107]] Pacemaker or ICD: [[HTMLTAG108]] electrical interference can affect sensing or trigger unwanted reactions. The person should receive medical assessment if the shock has passed near the chest or if symptoms occur. [[HTMLTAG109]]] [[HTMLTAG110]]] [[HTMLTAG111]]] Low body weight or thin physique: [[HTMLTAG112]] SACMILL points out that shorter distances between skin and heart can increase concern when hit across the chest area. [[HTMLTAG113]]] [[HTMLTAG114]]] [[HTMLTAG115]] Pregnancy: [[HTMLTAG116]] cases, abdominal trauma, stress and unclear fetal impact mean caution should be the starting point. [[HTMLTAG117]]] [[HTMLTAG118]]] [[HTMLTAG119]] Children and adolescents: [[HTMLTAG120]]] smaller body, higher vulnerability and greater fall risk mean that proportionality assessment must be particularly rigorous. The police magazine example in which a 15-year-old girl was hit after a phone was mistaken for weapons shows the problem concretely. [[HTMLTAG121]]] [[HTMLTAG122]]] [[HTMLTAG123]] Elderly and frail people: [[HTMLTAG124]]] greater risk of fracture, head injury, heart problems and complications after falls. [[HTMLTAG125]]] [[HTMLTAG126]]] [[HTMLTAG127]] Epilepsy or neurological disorder: [[HTMLTAG128]] pain, stress, falls, and electrical impact can worsen the condition or trigger seizures in some people. [[HTMLTAG129]]] [[HTMLTAG130]]] [[HTMLTAG131]] Intoxication, drugs or withdrawal: [[HTMLTAG132]]] stimulants, alcohol, overheating and heavy agitation can put a strain on the heart and metabolism. SACMILL describes particular concerns where heart function is compromised by drugs or addictive drugs. [[HTMLTAG133]]] [[HTMLTAG134]]] [[HTMLTAG135]] Mental illness or panic: [[HTMLTAG136]] shock can produce trauma, flashbacks, distrust of authorities, and reinforced fear in future police contacts. [[HTMLTAG137]]] [[HTMLTAG138]]] [[HTMLTAG139]] People in water, traffic, stairs, on heights or tracks: [[HTMLTAG140]] the greatest risk is then often not the electricity itself but the uncontrolled fall or the environment. [[HTMLTAG141]]] [[HTMLTAG142]]] [[HTMLTAG143]] People who are already restrained or lying on their stomachs: [[HTMLTAG144]]] PMFS 2021:4 prohibits use when police are in control of the person. In addition to the legal, there is a risk of panic, a feeling of lack of oxygen and injury when the person is unable to protect themselves. [[HTMLTAG145]]] [[HTMLTAG146]]] [[HTMLTAG147]]] Rules: significant violence, not convenience tools [[HTMLTAG148]]] [[HTMLTAG149]] PMFS 2021:4 states that the police's right to use force is contained in section 10 of the Police Act and that in the defensibility assessment it should be taken into account that stun guns involve a [[HTMLTAG150]] significant measure of the use of force [[HTMLTAG151]]. The regulations also clearly regulate: [[HTMLTAG152]]] [[HTMLTAG0]]] [[HTMLTAG1]] 14 §: use is by thrusting or firing. [[HTMLTAG2]]] [[HTMLTAG3]] § 15: coercion may take place only when the conditions for propelling/firing are met or can be assumed to occur. [[HTMLTAG4]]] [[HTMLTAG5]] § 16: The police officer shall, unless it is inappropriate or ineffective, state that he is a police officer and intends to use stun guns. [[HTMLTAG6]]] [[HTMLTAG7]] 17 §: the weapon may not be used when the police have control over the person. [[HTMLTAG8]]] [[HTMLTAG9]]] § 18: the weapon may not be used against anyone who only makes passive resistance through body weight. [[HTMLTAG10]]] [[HTMLTAG11]] § 19: the weapon may not be used if the circumstances involve a risk of serious injury, other than to prevent danger to life or health. [[HTMLTAG12]]] [[HTMLTAG13]] § 23: the use shall be documented in detail, including why the violence was necessary and why exactly stun guns were used. [[HTMLTAG14]]] [[HTMLTAG15]]] [[HTMLTAG16]] SVT further reiterates that police regulations/training materials say that the face, neck, neck and genitals are to be avoided. It's not a detail. If a stun gun is used against the neck/neck of a person who is lying down and is passive, the question doesn't just become “did it hurt?” unless the violence had a lawful and proportionate basis at all. [[HTMLTAG17]]] [[HTMLTAG18]]] When there is no proven legal basis for use [[HTMLTAG19]]] [[HTMLTAG20]]] There are already Swedish examples where the use has been deemed incorrect or indefensible: [[HTMLTAG21]]] [[HTMLTAG22]]] [[HTMLTAG23]] [[HTMLTAG24]] Stockholm District Court, January 2026: [[HTMLTAG25]] a police officer was convicted of assault after driving to the head, neck and neck area of a man lying on the ground. The court found that, to all intents and purposes, the man was under control and that the violence was not necessary or proportionate. [[HTMLTAG26]]] [[HTMLTAG27]] [[HTMLTAG28]] SVT's films from Stockholm: [[HTMLTAG29]] SVT describes two films in which police officers use stun guns against the necks of lying, arrested persons. Lawyer Linus Gardell says there is no reason to use stun guns in such situations, especially not against the neck. [[HTMLTAG30]]] [[HTMLTAG31]]] [[HTMLTAG32]] Police Magazine AD Case: [[HTMLTAG33]] a police officer fired stun guns at a 15-year-old girl after perceiving a cell phone as a weapon. The Police Personnel Responsibility Board judged that she was on her way away, did not pose a concrete threat and that conditions for ECV were lacking. The police union is pushing the opposite line in the Employment Tribunal. [[HTMLTAG34]]] [[HTMLTAG35]]] [[HTMLTAG36]] One should be precise: each case is decided by the circumstances on the ground. However, it is factually correct that Swedish cases already show electroshock weapons fired or used in situations where the court or liability board judged that there was no legal/defensible basis. [[HTMLTAG37]]] [[HTMLTAG38]] The statistics: usage is increasing rapidly [[HTMLTAG39]]] [[HTMLTAG40]] SVT's statistics from the Swedish Police Authority show a clear increase between 2024 and 2025: [[HTMLTAG41]]] [[HTMLTAG42]]] [[HTMLTAG43]]] [[HTMLTAG44]] Realm 2024: [[HTMLTAG45]]] 2,854 coercive, 767 firings, 572 driving thrusts. [[HTMLTAG46]]] [[HTMLTAG47]]] [[HTMLTAG48]] Realm 2025: [[HTMLTAG49]] 3,877 coercive, 1,025 firings, 793 driving thrusts. [[HTMLTAG50]]] [[HTMLTAG51]]] [[HTMLTAG52]]] The interactive D3 graph on the [[HTMLTAG53]] statistics page [[HTMLTAG54]] shows national statistics divided into forcing, firing and thrusting. It doesn't just show more weapons in circulation. It shows that an aid said to fill the gap between baton and gun is already being used thousands of times a year. [[HTMLTAG55]]] [[HTMLTAG56]]] What should you document if you have been exposed? [[HTMLTAG57]]] [[HTMLTAG58]]] [[HTMLTAG59]]] Where did the arrows or the drive bump hit? Photograph marks and wounds. [[HTMLTAG60]]] [[HTMLTAG61]]] Were you standing, lying down, restrained, handcuffed, or moving away? [[HTMLTAG62]]] [[HTMLTAG63]]] Did the police have control over you under § 17? [[HTMLTAG64]]] [[HTMLTAG65]]] Did you receive a warning under section 16? [[HTMLTAG66]]] [[HTMLTAG67]]] Was there risk environment: staircase, height, traffic, water, track, flammable environment? [[HTMLTAG68]]] [[HTMLTAG69]]] Do you have heart disease, pacemaker/ICD, epilepsy, pregnancy, neurological disease or other risk factor? Seek care and ask for a journal entry. [[HTMLTAG70]]] [[HTMLTAG71]]] Request the Section 23 report, event report, bodycam if available, and any footage from the scene. [[HTMLTAG72]]] [[HTMLTAG73]]] [[HTMLTAG74]]] Sources [[HTMLTAG75]]] [[HTMLTAG76]]] [[HTMLTAG77]]] [[HTMLTAG78]]] SVT Stockholm: Sharp increase in cases where police use stun guns [[HTMLTAG79]]] [[HTMLTAG80]]] [[HTMLTAG81]]] [[HTMLTAG82]]] SVT Jönköping: So many times the police have used the new stun gun [[HTMLTAG83]]] [[HTMLTAG84]]] [[HTMLTAG85]]] [[HTMLTAG86]] Police Magazine: The stun gun will be asked before the Labour Court [[HTMLTAG87]]] [[HTMLTAG88]]] [[HTMLTAG89]]] [[HTMLTAG90]]] Sveriges Radio: How police use stun guns, step by step [[HTMLTAG91]]] [[HTMLTAG92]]] [[HTMLTAG93]]] [[HTMLTAG94]] PMFS 2021:4, Police Authority Regulations on Electric Shock Weapons [[HTMLTAG95]]] [[HTMLTAG96]]] [[HTMLTAG97]]] [[HTMLTAG98]] Armatech: framework agreement with Axon on TASER 7 [[HTMLTAG99]]] [[HTMLTAG100]]] [[HTMLTAG101]]] [[HTMLTAG102]] SACMILL: medical statement for TASER 7 [[HTMLTAG103]]] [[HTMLTAG104]]] [[HTMLTAG105]]] [[HTMLTAG106]]] Stockholm District Court: Police officer convicted of assault after using stun gun [[HTMLTAG107]]] [[HTMLTAG108]]] [[HTMLTAG109]]]