Darlington to use “Less Lethal Launchers”
Cpl. Cara Spaziani displays one of the new FN 303 Less Lethal Launchers soon to be in service at the City of Darlington Police Department.
photo by Samantha Lyles
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Officers with the City of Darlington Police Department will soon have a new tool in their arsenal for subduing violent suspects, one that provides another vitally important “less lethal” option. Last week the department took delivery of ten FN 303 Less Lethal Launchers, free of charge, courtesy of the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, which received the launchers through a federal law enforcement grant program.
The FN 303 is a lightweight 29-inch polymer rifle capable of launching various .68 caliber polystyrene projectiles – which can contain marking paint or irritant powder – powered by a cylinder of compressed air charged to 3,000 PSI. The launcher is effective and accurate to a range of 50 meters and uses a 15-round magazine.
DPD Captain Jimmy Davis says officers must be trained on the proper use of these weapons, including situational usage and appropriate range, and the launchers should be deployed in patrol cars within a few months. The FN 303 launchers will be marked with colored tape to indicate their status as a non-lethal weapon.
