New South Wales police revealed on Tuesday that Newcastle woman Krista Kach died after being hit by bean bag rounds during a siege in Stockton last week.
The “non-lethal” munition penetrated her body and hit her heart, killing the 47-year-old, the NSW police acting commissioner said.
What are bean bag rounds?
Bean bag rounds, or supersoft rounds, are small bags made of fabric or kevlar and filled with lead pellets. The bags weigh about 40-50 grams and are packed in cartridges and fired from shotguns, releasing the bags at high speed.
The bean bags have a higher surface area than bullets, theoretically limiting their ability to penetrate skin.
When were they developed?
They were developed in the 1970s as a non-lethal means of subduing individuals.
Assoc Prof Philip Alpers, an arms expert at the University of Sydney, said non-lethal munitions such as bean bags were “quite commonly” used around the world.
The acting NSW police commissioner, David Hudson, said that “all tactical groups within Australia” use bean bag rounds.
How powerful is a bean bag gun?
They are usually fired from standard 12-gauge shotguns. Bean bags are accelerated at a speed of up to about 90 metres a second.
What are the injuries from beanbag rounds?
Terry Goldsworthy, associate professor of criminal justice at Bond University, said that as with all force, bean bag rounds carried the risk of injury and death.
“They’re not meant to penetrate the body, they’re meant to deliver enough force to take a person down,” he said. “It’s not unknown that they can injure or kill. They can break bones, they impact with a lot of force.”
Fatal injuries were possible if the bean bags connected with the head, neck or other vulnerable areas, he said.
Documented cases of injuries include permanent blindness, ruptured eyeballs, broken elbows, noses, ribs and fingers, internal bleeding, punctured lungs, haematoma and skull fractures.
Fatalities from bean bags rounds have been recorded in countries including the US, Canada, Colombia and now Australia.
Rick Sarre, emeritus professor of law and criminal justice at the University of South Australia, said: “There needs to be a lot more scrutiny into the circumstances in which they are used and the dangers that they present.”
Are bean bag rounds good for self-defence?
It depends on the situation and target.
One study found that bean bags released from a 12-gauge shotgun were not accurate or reliable when fired from more than 12 metres away from the target.
Makers of the bean bags did not specify a range of use of the weapon, Hudson said on Tuesday.
What do bean bag rounds feel like?
They are very high impact and are reported to “stun” an individual, at best.
Do bean bag ‘bullets’ hurt?
Yes. See above.
