Tazers have caused deaths.
OC and Mace have caused death by respiratory distress.
Rubber bullets have caused fatal injuries.
As have clubs/nightsticks.

Is there really a safe alternative to firearms for self defense?  Or should we consider the alternatives a little Less Lethal and hope for the best if we have to use one?

The reason for the question has as much to with defending ones self in the aftermath as in the actual life or death situation.  In the court room after the criminal trial is over and done with and the family, of the poor misguided youth who was just in your home after shattering the patio door glass at 2 am to ask for directions to the local church, is sueing you for wrongful death type defending.  You go through all the steps in the use of force continum.  Just before you get to the last and final step of pulling the trigger, what tool could a citizen with normal life experiance and training use to convince a jury they did every thing possible to keep from having to shoot the home invader?  Something that requires little training, is readily avaliable, and relatively inexpensive.

There are no, as in zero, cases that are legit fatalities caused by OC, contrary to what some folks with an anti-police agenda might claim.

Tasers have never caused a direct death, although poor usage of them has caused deaths (don't Taser suspects from out of a tree, for example).

Batons are safe unless used on people's heads and necks, again a training issue.

Less-lethal munitions have directly caused deaths, but again when they weren't used as designed.


Swimming pools cause more deaths than any of the above, and I'd bet choking on food does as well.


You have no duty to climb a continuum of force before going to deadly force, but if you choose to use a LL option then a good OC spray would be the best bet in the easy to use category.


For the record, this area is a particular specialty of mine.

Remember Nancy Sinatra singing "These Boots are made for Walking"  Well mine are made for running away from a situation as fast as I can, if I can.  That is my personal limit for less than lethal. As my daddy once many years ago told a bruised and bloodied 7 year old.  "There is no such thing as a fair fight, so do everything you can to stay out of one.  But if you can't, put them down and keep them down, else they will get up and hurt you."

Although I carry a Tac. Folder and a De-jammer Kubotan I consider them as a Back-Up to my Back-Up gun if I can't run away.
All of the things you mentioned can be lethal if used  incorrectly, In the case of OC spray and Tasers any injury or death is usually traced to other causes. In the last 15 years Emergency Medical Services are called to each use of less lethal devices to assess the prisoner prior to transport. The last time I checked every so called Taser death was traced to other causes IE: head hitting concrete or aspirating vomit in the back seat of the cruiser & ETC. The best bet with any Personal protection device is to get the best training available. I have seen someone very seriously injured with a Cross Pen used as a Kubotan (Worse than any Tasing of OC spraying) so any thing may be dangerous (possibly Lethal).

Well here is a recent happening, in fact about two hours ago. 
I went to the ATM machine to withdraw some money.   There was two people there argueing.  It  appeared to be a mother and son of about 19 years.  They were argueing about where the son was going to go.   I timed the arguement at three minutes when I said, "come on folks, there are other people in this world"  whereupon they both turned toward me as I was standing about 15 feet back and starting cursing me, the mother the most foul. 
I took a couple more steps back and just shut my mouth.  The son kept his mouth running and then approached me in a threatening manner.  I stepped back another few feet with the intent of leaving and he started into my space.   I immediately came to a defensive port arms stance with my cane held in both hands.  He came into my space swinging a fist.  I hit him in the chest with the cane still at port arms.  Then I hit the button on my blue tooth device and called the local police.  (I have it programed to call with a single word code)  The mother continued at the ATM stalling by sealing then tearing open four different deposit envelopes and screaming profanities at me.  The son came to his feet just as the patrol car showed up behind them.  Threat over and game over. 
Less then lethal?  I walk with a cane.  My cane is a apple wood limb about a large inch in diameter and 38 inches long.  It has a big knob on the head.  But I always use the two handed grip at port arms to defend myself.  It worked for me this time.  Had the police not showed up when they did I know I would have had to escalate to the thrust and swing movement.  Someone would have gotten hurt, probably this old man but I would have gone down protecting myself. 
Gees I'm long winded.   

yeah they got a free ride to temporary residence at the iron bar hotel.   Seems like they have a problem with theft.   They had warrents against them.   

And yes, I'm okay.  Pretty good for an old man.   

This is a clear example when the politicians encourage new prisons to be built in rural America.  And it will get worse. 

Mr Codger,

What an amazing story glad to see that you were unhurt and that your training was effective "in battle". I worry that some of the things I have learned to do would not actually work in a real setting.