title: Severe craniocerebral trauma with sequelae caused by Flash-Ball® shot, a less-lethal weapon: Report of one case and review of the literature.
abstract: The use of Flash-Ball® as a non-lethal weapon by several special units within the police and police forces started in France in 1995. Little literature is available concerning injuries caused by Flash-Ball® shooting. However, we report the case of a healthy 34-year-old male victim of a Flash-Ball® shooting during a riot following a sports event. This young man presented serious craniocerebral injuries with a left temporal fracture, moderate cerebral oedema, fronto-temporal haemorrhagic contusion along with an extra-dural hematoma and subarachnoid hemorrhage requiring neurological and rehabilitation care for two months leaving important sequelae. Although the risk is obviously lower than with firearms, Flash-Ball® is nonetheless potentially lethal and may cause serious physical injuries, particularly after a shot to the head.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Ethic and Medical Law, France jean.hiquet@chu-bordeaux.fr.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hiquet
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Ethic and Medical Law, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gromb-Monnoyeur
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005389:Firearms; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013405:Suicide; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Flash-Ball®; clinical forensic pathology; craniocerebral trauma; injury; less-lethal weapons