Kuwait Allows Police to Wield Stun Guns To Subdue Wanted Offenders

 Kuwait has permitted police to employ electric or stun weapons to subdue wanted criminals, according to a security official.

Assistant Undersecretary for Public Security Sector Abdullah Al Rajib stated that the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry has permitted all field security personnel, namely those in charge of public security and traffic police, to use electric pistols after undergoing special training courses on use guidelines.

The official outlined the circumstances in which a police officer may employ electroshock devices.

“The cases include arresting a convict in a criminal case, or in case of (the offender’s) resistance or escape attempt, or arresting an accused person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued if the wanted resists or attempts to escape,” he told Kuwaiti newspaper Al Anba.

Other situations, the official continued, include dispersing a group of seven or more people with the intent to commit a crime, endangering public safety, or endangering the lives of others.