New York, NY – Cops are on the lookout for a deceptive new weapon — a high-tech stun gun disguised as a common cellphone.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The NYPD issued an internal, department-wide memo with a photo of the device, warning cops of its existence, after the recent seizure of two of the dangerous, compact gadgets.
“Someone can get seriously injured,” an NYPD spokesman said. “They are dangerous and absolutely illegal.”
Personal Arms in Texas, a company that offers a nearly identical model to the ones seized by the NYPD, calls its device the Pretender, boasting that the disguised stun gun delivers a powerful, 950,000-volt shock and can temporarily incapacitate a person.
“This device will really give you the edge, since the attacker will think you are just carrying a cellphone,” claims the company’s Web site. It sells for $59.95. The Web site does note that the law prohibits shipping of the weapon to 17 states, including New York.
Another company, Safety Products Unlimited, peddles a similar model dubbed the Immobilizer.
“This cellphone can’t call for help, but with 900,000 volts of protection, you won’t need to,” says its advertisement.
The weapon, which sells for $51, is powered by three common camera batteries and comes in black, pink and orange.
Police don’t know where the devices they seized were purchased.
The NYPD says it is not aware of the weapons being used in a crime — yet.
Wow I love this idea. And thanks for providing us with the name as well and what a great price. Thank you.
Personal Alarms says on their website that they cannot ship to NY or NJ anyway. So you will have to find another place to ship too.
Why, in heavens name, are they so hell-bent on taking away every single weapon that can be used for self defense? I just don’t get it.
how do 3 camera batteries produce so much voltage?
Can someone take this on the plane? I am afraid phones should be checked.
First, do not do what the last guy said (touch the electrode when it goes off) the charge can burn your fingers.
Second, I have seen these in catalogs for ages, they are not new and they are not anymore dangerous than any other stun gun, so what is the big to do?
Rabbi Swift in Pittsburgh jokingly remarked that we should have a setting that if a cell phone goes off in shul the owner should get zapped.
Techie, that “trick” can trigger a heart attack in someone with a weak heart. It is not a joke at all.
I realize not everyone here watches TV, but some fool did a similar trick to the host on the TV show Mythbusters and later the host said that it felt like someone had kicked him in the chest. Practical jokes like this are very stupid, you never know what conditions a person might have that you may not know about.