Round Lake Park PD Using Bean-Bag Shotguns To Reduce Deadly Force

GRAYSLAKE, IL –In attempt to minimize the use of deadly force, officers with the Round Lake Park Police Department are undergoing training on how to subdue suspects using less lethal weapons.

“With so many controversial shooting deaths involving law enforcement personnel, a growing number of law enforcement agencies are looking for ways to eliminate fatal encounters between officers and citizens,” said Chief George Filenko in a news release.

The chief said that includes his department as well. His department is presently equipping officers with bean-bag shotguns. The goal, he said, is to avoid a confrontation that results in a fatality.

“Officers are currently equipped with Tasers and pepper spray. This is just one more option that you have as opposed to having to use lethal force,” Chief Filenko said. “It is not a danger to an officer, but it gives one more option to gain compliance without a lethal option.”

The push comes after a recent incident in late September involving a knife-wielding man who police said demanded that they shoot him. Police were ultimately able to subdue the suicidal man by deploying their Taser and bean-bag shotgun.

“The rounds fired from these guns can take down an assailant but usually don’t result in a fatality,” Chief Filenko said. “These guns fire a bean bag round that is not made to penetrate a person.”

Not seriously injured, the 26-year-old man involved in this particular case was ultimately taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for a mental health evaluation.

When using the bean-bag shotguns, the chief said his officers are trained to target large muscle groups in the person they are firing at while making every effort to avoid the neck and head area. By targeting the large muscle groups the officers, the chief explained, are more likely to inflict only pain rather than death.

“Accredited policies and expert training by nationally certified in-house instructors are essential to insure the appropriate use of these less lethal weapons,” Chief Filenko said.

According to the chief, a bean bag round is a small fabric pillow that is filled with No. 9 lead shot that weighs about 1.4 ounces. It’s typically fired from a 12-gauge shotgun and expelled about 250 to 300 feet per second. Once fired, it spreads out in flight and distributes its impact over one square inch of the target.

“The bean bag round is designed to deliver a blow that will cause minimum long-term trauma and no penetration to the body,” explained the chief. “It will result in a muscle spasm to stop a potentially violent suspect.”

Recent innovations, he added, have meant a change from a square shape to a rounded sock-shaped projectile.

According to the chief, these bean-bag shotguns will be available to all officers at his department.