Rubber Bullet Injury
- 1 September 2009
- journal article
- case report
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in American Journal of Forensic Medicine & Pathology
- Vol. 30 (3), 262-267
- https://doi.org/10.1097/paf.0b013e318187dfa8
Abstract
Rubber bullets are one of the less-lethal (nonlethal) weapons, which are increasingly used to incapacitate dangerous individuals, avoiding use of firearms. An autopsy examination of a man who was shot with improved rubber bullets revealed that the bullet caused pulmonary contusion. The bullet was 30 g in weight and consisted of a sponge foam nose with 40-mm diameter and a plastic body. He was not incapacitated and died of suicidal gunshot wound. The case raised a question as to how severe an injury is necessary to deter a person without causing death. A variety of rubber bullets have been used in the world, and they have occasionally produced severe or lethal injuries. A review of the literature demonstrated that the feature of injuries appeared to be related to the type of missile. It becomes more important for a forensic pathologist to be familiar with rubber bullets and injuries caused by them as the use of less-lethal weapon increases.Keywords
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