Quoted:
Does "less lethal" kill 'em "less dead"?
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No. The meaning for that particular bit of doublespeak is that are not "non lethal." They can kill and have killed.
The idea is to have another way to stop someone without being forced to kill them. This comes up a lot more often than one on the outside would think, and usually with people who are suicidal, anyway. When we go to these types of calls, killing a suicidal person doesn't accomplish your mission, which is to help people.
Put it another way. Your sibling is suffering from severe depression but responds to medication. After a lapse in their med schedule, they decide to kill themselves, but a last bit of lingering doubt keeps them from doing it themselves. So the get a big kitchen knife, call 911 and say, "I am going to kill myself" and hang up.
The police arrive. Your sibling runs at them waving a knife, knowing what the police response will be.
Which option would you prefer?
a)Police (justifiably) shoot and kill your sibling;
b) Police shoot your sibling with a "less lethal" shotgun.
In option "a," the victim is dead. In "b" the victim may suffer moderate to severe injuries. Even if severely injured, your sibling still survives to get appropriate treatment for the underlying mental illness, and can get better. There is still a chance that the "lee lethal" rounds may kill your sibling. Even if they do, the police still did all that they could to help them.
Which would you prefer?