Polyester fabric neutralizes stun gun jolt

Some fabrics repel moisture; Thor Shield repels electricity and can render a stun gun useless.







The Thor Shield fabric comes in different thicknesses. The thinnest version is only about a thirty-second of an inch thick and can be sewn into clothes.

"You can cut it with scissors. It is actually breathable," he said.

Schultz came up with the idea one night while watching a TV special on stun guns. "I thought, 'it is low amperage electricity. It can't be that difficult to send it back to the guy," he said. "The tough part was coming up with fabric that was breathable and won't come apart."

Thrill seekers, however, shouldn't look for Thor Shield at New York Fabrics. G2 sells the material only under nondisclosure agreements to law enforcement agencies and the military. The idea behind the fabric is that it could prevent officers from being hurt by their own weapons.

Recently in Ohio, for instance, a criminal suspect allegedly took a stun gun away from a police officer and shot her. This week, a similar incident occurred in Arizona.

"We're not going to put this on eBay or anything," he said. "This is negative in that it neutralizes their weapon, but it is positive in that it neutralizes a threat."

Still, G2 could spawn imitators, which could create headaches for stun gun manufacturers and police agencies, many of which have said that stun guns reduce the number of incidents in which police officers have to fire bullets.

Some law enforcement agencies are already in contact with the company. G2 has contacted Taser, but the company has not replied to G2. Taser did not returned calls for comment.

Controversy surrounds electricity weapons. Some organizations allege that the weapons have been responsible for some injuries and deaths. The guns can also be bought by consumers.

Several police agencies, however, say the weapons work well and give officers an alternative to guns in many situations. Medical studies sponsored by Taser and peer reviewed by physicians have shown no lasting health effects from a hit from one of the guns.

Schultz worked for several years as an engineer, building lightning detection systems like electric field mills. These machines, which monitor atmospheric stability and ambient electrical activity, get placed near structures that attract lightning, such as roller coasters. If the field mill sounds a warning, the structure or area can be evacuated.

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by Brian Tong