Baltimore Police officers arriving at Fort Armistead Park in the early hours of March 26 pointed their flashlights into the water and tried to make sense of what they were looking at.“That’s something big time.”“It sounded like a cannonball.”“This is gonna be a hell of a cleanup.”The officers, bewildered after receiving the initial call for a water rescue, were looking at the scene millions would wake up to that morning — the main span of the Francis Scott Key Bridge had fallen into the Patapsco River.Their response was documented in body camera footage released this week by Baltimore Police showing roughly the first hour of response efforts from one officer’s perspective. The footage shows perplexed night shift officers quickly realizing the gravity of the collapse in front of them as a Maryland Transportation Authority Police officer explains the basics: A cargo ship lost power and hit the bridge and a construction crew was missing.The 52-minute clip then shows response efforts ramping up, including the construction crew’s lone survivor arriving on shore after being rescued by Transportation Authority police. Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace later makes a cameo in the footage, telling officers that the mayor would be coming and the governor had been notified.The video is timestamped with a start time of 1:39 a.m. — about 10 minutes after the bridge fell. The first 60 seconds, showing the officer driving through South Baltimore, contains no audio. He’s accompanied by another officer, who at one point wonders out loud why Transportation Authority police behind them seem so eager to get onto the scene. He finds out once they arrive at the park minutes later. A Transportation Authority officer explains that they believe several maintenance workers were on the bridge when it fell.The officers then get out of their car and look at the Patapsco.“Is that the Key Bridge that collapsed?”The Transportation Authority officer then explains that the ship seen pinned under the span of Interstate 695, the Dali, had lost steering and hit a support pier, causing the bridge to collapse. He explains this again to additional officers who seem just as shocked.At the time, less than an hour after the collapse, the Transportation Authority officer says they believe 20 or more construction workers were on the bridge when it fell, and notes that they stopped traffic after getting a call “probably a minute” before it collapsed.It would turn out that only eight people were on the bridge. Six workers died, and a construction inspector escaped without plunging into the water at all. The other survivor, Julio Cervantes, is shown being brought ashore before officers discuss the search-and-rescue efforts.“It’s a tragedy, obviously … I hope everybody survives,” one says.“That’s a long fall … I mean, that guy looked like he was all right, but it’s cold,” another responds.The bodies of two more workers were found the next day. It would take weeks of removing wreckage to find the remaining four workers who died, and longer to move the Dali and clear the channel.Officials have now shifted their focus toward rebuilding the bridge, with the process for picking a builder underway and a meeting slated for Thursday night to discuss demolishing the remaining bridge pieces. The Transportation Authority was still finalizing documentation of its initial disaster spending, a $50 million contract for debris removal, on Thursday, a spokesperson said.

Hide your cash, cards, keys and those little treasures you don't want the world to find. And here's the best part: If needed, when filled with ice, it can serve as a makeshift defense tool. This bottle offers a smart, subtle way to keep your valuables secure while staying hydrated.

Your every day flashlight can be used as self-defense tool by shining it in an attacker's eyes to blind and disorient them. Flashlights are of course legal to carry in Canada, unlike many other self-defense tools. This means that you can have one on hand at all times in your bag without worrying about breaking the law.

“Taser” is actually the brand name for the weapons now made by Axon. This electro-shock weapon fires tiny probes or darts that are connected to thin wires, causing neuromuscular incapacitation. This pistol-looking device is intended to be used for personal protection because they can reach targets up to 15 feet away, and the probes can emit multiple cycles of electricity of around 50,000 volts.

A taser and a stun gun are similar in terms of the pain they cause to the attacker, but the taser has a greater ability to disrupt muscle movements and prevent an assailant from advancing towards you by paralyzing them. The effects of a taser last less than one hour. Stun gun effects are temporary and end once you stop pressing down the stun gun onto the attacker.

In Canada, it's illegal to tell a policeman that you're carrying pepper spray for self-defense. But, you can carry dog spray to use against dogs, wildlife and (ahem) animals. Read our full guide on whether bear spray for self defense in Canada here.

A taser shock can cause “cardiac arrest” and death, according to a 2012 study. Tasers can impair brain function such as causing reduced verbal learning and memory, but these effects last under an hour. The effects lasted, on average, less than one hour. A stun gun is not lethal but causes a significant amount of pain. There is no permanent damage from a stun gun.

However, if you intend to (and just happen to) be carrying bear spray and you just happen to use it if you get attacked by another person,

Although Apple’s AirTag is primarily designed to track personal items, it can also play a role in enhancing your personal safety. By discreetly placing an AirTag in your bag or attaching it to your keychain, you establish a covert connection between yourself and those closest to you. Your friends and family can then use the Find My app to effortlessly monitor your location while you're commuting or out for a jog.

The target is struck by the darts, which deliver electricity through the wires, disrupting the neuromuscular system and rendering the target temporarily paralyzed or if overused, potentially rendering them unconscious. The taser causes muscles to contract up to 19 times per second.

Officials have now shifted their focus toward rebuilding the bridge, with the process for picking a builder underway and a meeting slated for Thursday night to discuss demolishing the remaining bridge pieces. The Transportation Authority was still finalizing documentation of its initial disaster spending, a $50 million contract for debris removal, on Thursday, a spokesperson said.

Canada categorizes weapons into “prohibited” and “unprohibited weapons.” And both stun guns and tasers are considered prohibited weapons.

Their response was documented in body camera footage released this week by Baltimore Police showing roughly the first hour of response efforts from one officer’s perspective. The footage shows perplexed night shift officers quickly realizing the gravity of the collapse in front of them as a Maryland Transportation Authority Police officer explains the basics: A cargo ship lost power and hit the bridge and a construction crew was missing.

The Transportation Authority officer then explains that the ship seen pinned under the span of Interstate 695, the Dali, had lost steering and hit a support pier, causing the bridge to collapse. He explains this again to additional officers who seem just as shocked.

Are you worried about being physically overpowered? Wondering whether it’s legal to carry a taser or stun gun in Canada for self-defense?

The bodies of two more workers were found the next day. It would take weeks of removing wreckage to find the remaining four workers who died, and longer to move the Dali and clear the channel.

Stun guns can only be used by police officers who use them as a non-lethal alternative to firearms. The RCMP are permitted to use stun guns in situations where they feel under threat (according to the Canadian Criminal Code Section 85) and where all other options have been exhausted. This includes verbal communication and empty-hand control techniques, which is a fancy way of saying all techniques that don’t involve any kind of weapon.

If you’re trapped in a car, you can break glass with a Tactical Pen (otherwise known as a windshield breaker). But it's illegal to carry this if you intend to use it as a weapon in Canada, so remember - you will only be carrying this on your person because it's a normal pen.

GPS watches are your guardian angel. A fusion of fitness and protection, they're the jogger's trusted companion as they track your location real-time.

The video is timestamped with a start time of 1:39 a.m. — about 10 minutes after the bridge fell. The first 60 seconds, showing the officer driving through South Baltimore, contains no audio. He’s accompanied by another officer, who at one point wonders out loud why Transportation Authority police behind them seem so eager to get onto the scene.

Stun guns are for close range combat and have metal prongs at the top of the device. They are block-shaped like an electric shaver, but you can find them concealed in the form of a torch, phone or flashlight.

You can read my comprehensive guide on the 10 best self defense tools you can carry, but I've given you a quick rundown below as well.

It is illegal to use them on a person, or intended to be used on a person, as then they become a prohibited weapon in accordance with the Criminal Code of Canada.

They give the attacker a very painful, high-voltage shock - the pain is temporary but it does not paralyze the entire body like a taser does. At approximately three milliamps, the charge is not strong enough to damage the target’s body unless you hold down the weapon for an excessively long period of time.

The officers, bewildered after receiving the initial call for a water rescue, were looking at the scene millions would wake up to that morning — the main span of the Francis Scott Key Bridge had fallen into the Patapsco River.

Canadian law enforcement have strict guidelines and training programs in place for using tasers. The RCMP have to re-certify every year to continue carrying a “conducted energy weapon.”

Self-defense keychains are compact, easy-to-carry devices designed for personal protection, either by striking an assailant or creating noise to draw attention.

A security umbrella, on the surface, appears and functions like any regular umbrella, offering the typical utility you'd expect. However, it's engineered with a robust frame and a steel tip for a forceful defensive response.

He finds out once they arrive at the park minutes later. A Transportation Authority officer explains that they believe several maintenance workers were on the bridge when it fell.

At the time, less than an hour after the collapse, the Transportation Authority officer says they believe 20 or more construction workers were on the bridge when it fell, and notes that they stopped traffic after getting a call “probably a minute” before it collapsed.

You may be tempted to carry one in your handbag, but personal stun guns are illegal in Canada, and if you possess one, this is considered a criminal offense and possession of a weapon.

Safety whistles in Canada is completely lawful. You can conveniently wear it around your neck or stash it in a handbag or pocket for easy access in case of emergencies.

It would turn out that only eight people were on the bridge. Six workers died, and a construction inspector escaped without plunging into the water at all. The other survivor, Julio Cervantes, is shown being brought ashore before officers discuss the search-and-rescue efforts.

Stun guns can penetrate clothing due to the high voltage electric shock placed directly on the attacker's body, but very heavy clothing (like thick jackets) will reduce the shock’s effectiveness.

In Canada, tasers are illegal for civilians to carry as self-defense weapons and are classified as "prohibited weapons." Tasers can only be used by law enforcement for self-defense and crowd control because there are many concerns about the potential harm they can cause when they’re used improperly.

Using the stun gun for ½ a second causes a moment of pain. Zapping one to two seconds causes muscle spasms and confusion. A zap that’s longer than three seconds disorients and causes great temporary pain to the attacker.

Officers are trained to use all energy-conducting weapons are only supposed to use them when a person is “causing, or may soon cause, themselves or someone else harm.”

The 52-minute clip then shows response efforts ramping up, including the construction crew’s lone survivor arriving on shore after being rescued by Transportation Authority police. Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace later makes a cameo in the footage, telling officers that the mayor would be coming and the governor had been notified.

Sometimes the term “stun gun” and “taser” gets used interchangeably because they’re both conducted-energy weapons, but let’s break down the many differences.

Cattle prods are legal stun guns, as long as they are used only for the purpose of a deterrent against animals and are over a length of 480mm. Cattle prods must be used for cattle, to deter dog attacks and so on.