Criminals in the US state of North Dakota may soon find themselves zapped by Tasers from on high.
Controversy is swirling around the new state law which took effect on Aug 1 and would allow police departments to equip drones with non-lethal weapons such as Tasers, tear gas and rubber bullets, according to a report in USA Today.
The original legislation, as presented by state Rep Rick Becker, was aimed at making sure police obtained a search warrant to use a drone to seek out criminal evidence.
But Bruce Burkett, a lobbyist with ties to area police, was allowed to amend the bill to specify that drones could carry anything except weapons capable of lethal force.
Although Tasers are meant just to stun suspects with jolts of electricity, hundreds have died in the past decade as a result of the weapon. More recently, there has been increased public concern about the militarisation of police departments.
Rep Becker said he would push for the removal of the non-lethal force provision. But that won't happen until 2017, when the state legislature reconvenes for its next session.
"There should be a nice, red line: Drones should not be weaponised. Period," he said at a hearing in March into the bill.
In any case, the high cost of sophisticated drone technology may keep weaponised police drones grounded in the short term.
The Daily Beast reported that the county sheriff's department in Grand Forks, North Dakota currently has two drones, both of which are on loan from California manufacturers. At present, they are equipped only with cameras.