top of page
TRAIN LIKE A LIFE DEPENDS ON IT
CREATED BY A POLICE OFFICER
I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD HAPPEN TO ME.
Weapon Confusion was first introduced to the country on a large scale when Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old man was killed in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day 2009 by former BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle. The former Officer would draw what he believed was his Taser and discharge a single fatal shot into Grant, and via a low resolution cellphone video, the public would see for the first time what Weapon Confusion looked like, and for the first time it would hear the explanation that an Officer "confused their Gun for his Taser.” This explanation would ultimately send shockwaves through the country, and ultimately memorialized in the 2013 film "Fruitvale Station" starring actors Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer. The entire event would leave a lasting impact on both the brave men and women of the BART Police Department, as well as the grieving family of Oscar Grant. The BART (Fruitvale Station) tragedy unfortunately would not be the last time an Officer would unintentionally mistake their Gun for a Taser. In 2021 (Brooklyn Center, Minnesota) which occurred in the midst of the highly publicized George Floyd Trial, would pay a grim reminder to the country of the devastation that Weapon Confusion can cause. Former Officer Kim Potter’s Police bodycam would capture her calling out “Taser Taser Taser” just before she unintentionally discharges her Firearm to fatally wound a 20-year old, Daunte Wright. Another tragedy where the family was left grieving, and Law Enforcement and the Public were left searching for answers.
On average, a major incident involving Weapon Confusion has occurred in our country every year, for the past 22 years (5 incidents were fatal.) It would be the most recent incident in Minnesota (2021) that lead a Police Officer in Northern California (Joe Vegas / Creator of Primary Guard) to search for a solution. Primary Guard was released in November 2023, a training device aimed to take the Taser out of the officer's dominant hand (The same hand used to discharge the Firearm.) Joe's father, Augustine Vegas (A former Police Detective/Firearms Instructor with the Richmond Police Department) would be play a major part with the inspiration of the device, and would impress upon Joe with some of his favorite sayings like "Practice doesn't make perfect, it makes permanent," and it was with his passion for Law Enforcement training, that Detective Vegas passed down what would ultimately set the foundation for Primary Guard.
In 2016, Detective Gus Vegas of the Richmond Police Department was shot and killed in service, intervening in a Domestic Violence situation. His memory will continue to inspire all that we do at Primary Guard LLC.
Detective Gus Vegas - Badge #60
End of Watch - 2/11/2016
NEW ASSEMBLY BILL IN CALIFORNIA PASSED (2023)
(Efforts at the State Level to Address Weapon Confusion)
Assembly Bill No. 1406
CHAPTER 945
Effective Year: 2023
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB1406, Lackey. Law enforcement agency policies: carrying of equipment.
*AB1406 in California now mandates the CEW (Taser TM) be holstered on the Support-Side (Non-Dominant.)
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.
Section 13660 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
13660.
(a) Any law enforcement agency that authorizes peace officers to carry an electroshock device shall prohibit that device from being holstered or otherwise carried on the same lateral side of the officer’s body as the officer’s primary firearm is holstered or otherwise carried.
(b) As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Electroshock device” means a taser, stun gun, or similar weapon that is designed to temporarily incapacitate a person through the controlled delivery of an electric shock, and is designed to be held in a manner similar to a pistol and operated using a finger trigger.
(2) “Law enforcement agency” means any agency or department of the state, or any political subdivision thereof, that employs any peace officer described in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2.
SEC. 2.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
Primary Guard is Patent Pending. Taser trademarks, images and/or other products referenced herein are the property, trademarks or registered trademarks of Axon Industries. Primary Guard trademarks, images and/or other products referenced herein are property, trademarks or registered trademarks of Primary Guard LLC. All other material mentioned herein are property, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners, and the use of any material on this website does not imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation with any third party, unless explicitly stated. The use of any material on this website is for informational purposes only.
bottom of page