Stun guns?

[Guest canynracer]

so i am now confused.

[GLOCKMEISTER]

what you have to understand is that there are things that can be used as a weapon but that wasnt their intent when made. Ex: Ice pick, penny roll, peice of broken glass, or even an automobile. When an officer deems an individual is carrying/using these items as a weapon then that person can be charged with carrying a weapon.

[canadienmike]

Glockmeister, I think you have made 2 different statements that have caused some of the confusion on what you are trying to say. Can any of those things you mentioned be considered weapons? I would say yes, they can and that would include pepper spray and tasers. The problem is that you initially said that technically, pepper spray and tasers are illegal. So by your reasoning, technically penny rolls, scissors and even automobiles are illegal. There is a difference between something being able to be considered a weapon and something that is illegal. It would go to intent and not the object itself.

[GLOCKMEISTER]

nope, sorry but thats not what I said. Go back and look at post 13 in this thread, I said "stun guns and tasers are technically illegal for civilians to carry in Tennessee". That is a true statement because they have no common law legal use except as a defensive weapon. A ice pick has a use if your in the business of using it as a tool like.. well... picking ice. Same thing with penny rolls and scissors if your going to the bank or use them in your job as a cutting tool.

See, its all in how your using it and how the officer deems your using it and what your intent is in carrying it. If your carrying it as a defensive instrument, and that item hasnt been specifically exempted from prosecution in the TCA, then you can be charged with it.

[canadienmike]

I see where you are coming from as far as carrying 'weapons'. But doesn't the part of the TCA that defines weapons state:

Any other implement for infliction of serious bodily injury or death which has no common lawful purpose

So my question would be do these things meet that definition? Penny roll, yes. Scissors, yes. Ice pick, yes. I would even say yes to tasers, but can pepper spray cause serious bodily injury or death?

[GLOCKMEISTER]

yep... there are cases where people have died, but it is rare. They usually have to have some sort of allergic reaction or respiratory condition to be fatal. The real point is it for sure causes temporarily blindness, thats is serious bodily injury... IMHO. Police dept's consider them weapons in their force continuum also.