For the first time, the FN 303 has arrived in the hands of Connecticut law enforcement.
Willimantic police say they're the first in the state to obtain the less-lethal weapon. They received about 20 of them at no cost thanks to a federal program.
This week police are training all their officers on the FN 303 and say, when used correctly, the weapon will have no long-term effects, unlike other, similar options.
"When you hit somebody with a Taser, it locks them up, but they have to fall. Where they fall is going to be the problem. If you're on the concrete or highway, they can fall on the guardrail, they can fall and hit curbing," said Willimantic police spokesman Cpl. Stan Parizo Jr.
With the FN 303, police say the paintball gun-type projectile should stop the suspect while the paint or pepper spray inside marks the suspect or forces him or her down.
"When it hits you, it will splat out. All this paint will go all over you, or the OC [similar to pepper spray] will go into your face, into your eyes, and affect your breathing," said Willimantic Patrolman Robert Tatro.
Officers train to hit the extremities, or the torso, if the officer is far enough away.
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"The head is off limits. The groin is off limits. The spine is off limits. The kidneys are off limits," said Parizo.
Authorities say it's the distance that makes the FN 303 safer for them. For pepper spray, officers can be up to 10 feet away from a target. For a Taser, that distance increases a bit to 16 feet. For the FN 303, it expands to 10 times that, at 160 feet.
"It's an officer safety issue. This allows our patrol personnel a standoff distance," said Parizo.
Authorities say the addition of a sight on top of the FN 303 is far more accurate than other means of less lethal force.
"It's very, very accurate. At 50 meters I can hit a quarter," said Tatro. "At 50 meters it's like getting hit with a baton."
Police say each round costs about a dollar, and the FN 303 holds 15 rounds. Willimantic expects to have the less-lethal weapon in every patrol car beginning next week.
