{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]],"date-time":"2026-04-20T23:29:10Z","timestamp":1776727750520,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"12","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Case Rep"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,22]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Although conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) such as the Thomas A. Swift\u2019s Electric Rifle (TASER) provide a less lethal means for subduing persons than firearms or stun guns, they have the potential to cause adverse injury. This report discusses the intracranial penetration of a TASER dart.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>We present a case of a woman in her early 40s who was subdued by New South Wales Police with a TASER. The dart impacted her skull resulting in a tonic-clonic seizure. Examination and imaging in the emergency department revealed intracranial penetration to a depth of 4\u2009mm. An emergency craniotomy was performed. She had no neurological deficits and subsequently discharged herself from the hospital.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>This case demonstrates that penetrating head injury causing brain injury with subsequent seizures is possible with TASER use, contrary to common belief. While they are not intended to penetrate the skull, traumatic brain injury requiring neurosurgical intervention should be considered if CEWs such as TASER are pointed at the human head, especially at shorter ranges. This report demonstrates that utmost caution should be ensured with their use. We outline the weapon\u2019s mechanism, review the literature and discuss the physical properties of the collision in order to investigate the likelihood of intracranial injury.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2024-261108","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,15]],"date-time":"2024-12-15T20:35:12Z","timestamp":1734294912000},"page":"e261108","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["TASER dart causes penetrating intracranial injury"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Arnav","family":"Shetty","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Waldo Gerard","family":"Solis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton, New South Wales, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Michael","family":"Brooks","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Renata","family":"Abraszko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.1","unstructured":"New South Wales Police Major Events & Incidents Group, Use of Conducted Electrical Weapons (TASER). 2016. Available: https:\/\/www.police.nsw.gov.au\/__data\/assets\/pdf_file\/0010\/583705\/taser-use-public-information.pdf"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jflm.2008.12.012","article-title":"Physiology and pathology of TASER electronic control devices","volume":"16","author":"Kroll","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Forensic Leg Med"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kroll MW , Brave MA , Pratt HMO , et al . Benefits, Risks, and Myths of TASER\u00ae Handheld Electrical Weapons. Hum Factors Mech Eng Def Saf 2019;3. doi:10.1007\/s41314-019-0021-9","DOI":"10.1007\/s41314-019-0021-9"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.annemergmed.2008.11.021"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tcr.2017.10.001","article-title":"Ocular manifestations of TASER-induced trauma","volume":"12","author":"Gapsis","year":"2017","journal-title":"Trauma Case Rep"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.urology.2015.11.011","article-title":"Taser-Related Testicular Trauma","volume":"88","author":"Theisen","year":"2016","journal-title":"Urology"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jflm.2016.07.001","article-title":"Fatal traumatic brain injury with electrical weapon falls","volume":"43","author":"Kroll","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Forensic Leg Med"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"733","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajem.2006.12.017","article-title":"Intracranial penetration of a TASER dart","volume":"25","author":"Rehman","year":"2007","journal-title":"Am J Emerg Med"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e7","DOI":"10.1016\/j.forsciint.2012.03.027","article-title":"A brain penetration after Taser injury: controversies regarding Taser gun safety","volume":"221","author":"Le Blanc-Louvry","year":"2012","journal-title":"Forensic Sci Int"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"590","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jemermed.2021.07.071","article-title":"Penetrating Intracranial Taser Injury","volume":"61","author":"Delavar","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Emerg Med"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/jscr\/2012.6.10"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"862","DOI":"10.1177\/000313480807400920","article-title":"Taser and Taser associated injuries: a case series","volume":"74","author":"Mangus","year":"2008","journal-title":"Am Surg"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1503\/cmaj.081364"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102","DOI":"10.1097\/PAF.0000000000000471","article-title":"Penetration Depths of Conducted Electrical Weapon Probes Into Human Skull Phantoms","volume":"40","author":"Bolliger","year":"2019","journal-title":"Am J Forensic Med Pathol"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.2174\/1874120701408010075","article-title":"Injury risk assessment of non-lethal projectile head impacts","volume":"8","author":"Oukara","year":"2014","journal-title":"Open Biomed Eng J"},{"key":"2025082803060214000_17.12.e261108.16","unstructured":"Dstl Counter Terrorism and Security Physical Assessment of TASER 7. 2020. Available: https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/5f4008b2d3bf7f67b0cdf1ee\/Physical_Assessment_of_T7_DSTL.pdf"}],"container-title":["BMJ Case Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2024-261108","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,28]],"date-time":"2025-08-28T10:06:11Z","timestamp":1756375571000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/casereports.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2024-261108"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,12]]},"references-count":16,"journal-issue":{"issue":"12","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,15]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,12]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bcr-2024-261108"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bcr-2024-261108","relation":{},"ISSN":["1757-790X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1757-790X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,12]]}}}