The taser works by firing two tiny darts, each trails a copper wire. When they hit someone, the circuit is complete and 50,000 volts surge through the person's body.

The tasers will only be in the hands of the tactical team during a six-month trial. It has the blessing of Ontario's solicitor general.

Most people accept that it's better to be shot by a taser than by a police gun. The B.C. Civil Liberties Association welcomed the taser's deployment in that province for just that reason.

It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges.

But some research suggests that the very non-lethality of weapons like the taser encourages police to use them in scuffles and demonstrations when, in the old days, no weapon would have been used at all.

The bean bag gun was considered a non-lethal way of bringing down a person, until three years ago when Ottawa police killed a deranged man with it. Constable John McDonald says, "This technology would have been perfect in this incident."

"The ministry itself is interested in making sure police officers have the equipment they need to fulfill their duties, and in this case we're interested in testing a new less-than-lethal-force option," says Steven Byrd.

It makes the person lose control of their muscles, causing them to fall to their knees. This allows a police officer to gain control of the offending party.

"Basically we're looking for an option to bring a person under control without having to resort to lethal options," says Police Chief Vince Bevan.