Citation

Hiquet J, Gromb-Monnoyeur S. Med. Sci. Law 2015; 56(3): 237-240.

Affiliation

Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Ethic and Medical Law, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, British Academy of Forensic Sciences, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0025802415587320

PMID

26130748

Abstract

The use of Flash-Ball® as a non-lethal weapon by several special units within the police and police forces started in France in 1995. Little literature is available concerning injuries caused by Flash-Ball® shooting. However, we report the case of a healthy 34-year-old male victim of a Flash-Ball® shooting during a riot following a sports event. This young man presented serious craniocerebral injuries with a left temporal fracture, moderate cerebral oedema, fronto-temporal haemorrhagic contusion along with an extra-dural hematoma and subarachnoid hemorrhage requiring neurological and rehabilitation care for two months leaving important sequelae. Although the risk is obviously lower than with firearms, Flash-Ball® is nonetheless potentially lethal and may cause serious physical injuries, particularly after a shot to the head.

Language: en