Taser unveils new three-pronged stun gun

A new Taser stun gun capable of shocking three people or hitting one person three times, all without reloading, received rousing applause from hundreds of law enforcement officers an at unveiling Monday.
The demonstration at the Scottsdale-based company's annual conference, held in Fountain Hills, AZ., was performed by Taser International Chairman Tom Smith and his brother, CEO Rick Smith.

The device is the first new stun gun Taser International has introduced since 2003 and is designed to replace older Taser stun guns used by more than 14,000 law enforcement agencies throughout the United States.

The new models can fire three separate, double-pronged barbs that deliver 6 watts of electrical current without reloading. Older models already used by local departments such as the Long Beach Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department fire one double-pronged barb at a time and have to be reloaded after every shot.

The new stun gun costs $1,799, compared with $799 for the older model, although law enforcement agencies are being offered credits worth $300-$800 for trade-ins, and are expected to be available to law enforcement agencies in late August.