Why don't police use tranquilizer darts/rounds instead of live rounds?

Question

Why can't armed police use tranquilizers to put criminals to sleep so that they can be interrogated later on and it will be much simpler since one shot and he's out.

But why do they use live bullets instead?

Answer 1

The criminals don't use tranquilizer guns.

It's reallly that simple.

Answer 2

They use Tazers more and more now.Tranquilizers have to be adjusted to the body mass and even then might not work on someone on drugs already. Bullets work on everyone.

Answer 3

Because the "bad guys" don't use dart guns. If the "bad guys" all used water pistols, the police could use them too!

Answer 4

What a stupid question

Answer 5

because its more fun to use live rounds and tranquilizers doesnt automatically stop a criminal.

Answer 6

Sometimes the goal is to kill someone doing something very bad...not just give them a nap.

And sometimes you need to shoot through a windshield, door or wall. A dart won't do this.

And if you need to shoot with accuracy to drop someone standing behind a child with a gun to its head, a tranquilizer dart just isn't going to cut it.

Answer 7

Good idea.  How would you dose it?  For a 200 pound man?

That would not phase a 350 pound man, and it would kill a 90 pound female.  What if they were on other drugs?  What if it didn't work?  What if it took too long?

Too many variables for that to be a workable idea.

Answer 8

Liability, plain and simple.  And for those who say "Taser!" it is used for only Less than Lethal encounters.  We (police) use our guns ONLY if we feel that our life is in danger or the life of another is in danger.  And when we fire our gun, we shoot to kill.  We are trained to hit "center mass" which means the middle torso.  Guns are just another tool in our toolbelt, and are our last resort.  But if we are encountering deadly force, we have to be able to respond in kind.

Answer 9

Coz if the cops let their victims live they could give their side of the story and they would have a hard time covering things up.

Answer 10

The only known allergy to bullets is death.

Many "tranquilisers"/anaethesias have side-effects; especially if a person is on medication.

Obviously, if you only want to "capture" someone... giving them a substance that may prove fatal isn't a good idea.  D'oh!

Answer 11

Because some people just flat need to die, if more were taken out at the gitgo, it would free up lots of prison space and save millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars.

Answer 12

Hey thats actually a really good idea yeah they should do that hmmm . . .

Answer 13

Tranquilizers, like oral medication, can not be administered w/o knowledge of medical history. No one, not even law enforcement is allowed to inject anyone with any foriegn substance. period.

Answer 14

you never know what someone will be alergic to.  Someone could go into anaphlactic shock and die.

Answer 15

Wow. So uhm...can you do me a favor and ask all the gun-toting criminals to use rubber bullets too? Here's why officers carry real guns and bullets.

1. Criminals carry real guns and bullets

2. Tranquilizers are not instantaneous

3. It's called a taser, you shoot it at someone, it shocks them, they fall down

4. What happens when the tranquilizer hits a innocent person? Police still get sued

5. How about when someone is allergic? Sued

6. How about when it doesn't work? Shoot them with more tranquilizer?

7. People aren't animals, and cops aren't doctors.

8. When a cop shoots someone, they've already posed an IMMEDIATE threat of great bodily injury or death to the officer or others meaning they need to be met with DEADLY force.

Put yourself in a cops position.

Answer 16

I can't say for sure, but I don't think tranquilizer darts would work quick enough to solve a major problem, it might take a few moments for the effects to kick in,, by that time, he could open fire (if he has a gun) and kill someone. Live rounds are used as a last resort to stop them from causing harm,,, instantly.

Answer 17

It would seem to me that this would be just another less-lethal option.  

What would be the range and accuracy of one of these darts?

Would it be able to penetrate clothing?

Would there have to be different types of darts based on body weight?

How much of a deterrent would a dart gun be?

What if I poke myself loading the dart gun?

Even if through some miracle of technology science could make a 100% effective less-lethal tool; I would still want a lethal option available to me.

If criminals knew that the police could not shoot real bullets at them and potentially kill them; I think we would see a braver and more dangerous criminal.

Answer 18

Um, because that wouldn't work?

yet another reason why people with no law enforcement training (and less common sense) should keep their opinions to themselves.

You obviously have never seen a traq. dart work.

Here is a little lesson.

1) They do not come prefilled.

2) you must draw them up based on the persons weight/size

3) They take several minutes to work

4) they can be pulled out prior to working

Here is how lethal force works

1) A person is attempting to kill you or seriously injure you or another person. They have a gun, knife etc

Here is your scenario.... Perp pulls a gun on Police (or child, little old lady,etc) Officer goes...hold on...how much do you weigh? Let me load my dart. OK. Fire.... Now, Mr Bad guy, please don't pull the dart out and please do not fire your gun at me or bystanders while the dart works.

Reality...Gun battles are over in seconds, they happen with no advance warning most of the time.

Please, in the future, when you have an idea...keep it to yourself. Other feeble minded people see it and go "thats a good idea". And its not.

Answer 19

Because if some nutter is wearing a body bomb, you want them dead as soon as possible and not stunned.

Ask the Fuzz in Israel - they don't ponce about, they shoot to kill anyone they know is wearing a body bomb.  Result, lots of lives saved.  Good for them.

Answer 20

Other than the fact that that is a bad idea, it would cost a lot of money to give all cops traq dart guns.