China Firm Creates ‘Laser Gun’ Designed for Use by Law Enforcement

New weapon could set fire to protestors' hair or banners from more than half-mile away.

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The weapon is mainly expected to be used by the Chinese police force. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
VCG via Getty Images

A Chinese firm has created a laser gun that is designed for use by police. The non-lethal weapon could be used to set fire to protestors’ hair or ignite banners from a range of almost half-a-mile. The general manager of the ZKZM fiber laser company, who asked to remain anonymous while talking to AFP, said that the laser’s effect would “immediately” produce a “strong pain response in the target.”

“The weapon is designed to do things such as setting fire to illegal banners at a protest or setting fire to the hair or clothing of a protester,” reports Yahoo News. “It is not designed explicitly for killing like a gun that uses bullets and cannot cause the ‘instant carbonization’ of human skin and tissues.”

The weapon can be mounted on cars, boats and planes and will weigh about 6.6 pounds. It is expected to be mainly used by the Chinese police force. Some experts like the website TechCrunch, however, are questioning the company’s claims about the weapon, saying that the “power required to set a person aflame instantly from half a mile away is truly huge.”

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