rmocarsky said:
"I am the OP.
What are the best means of non-lethal defense available to civilians and the most potent to put 'em down from maybe 10 yards instantly and not endanger yourself of going down beside him due to wind change?
I am serious . . .
I have a real fear that this will probably occur.
What is the BEST most debilitating LEGAL non-lethal crusher available?"
Unfortunately you are looking for a non-lethal silver bullet - and one does not exist.
10 yards = 30 feet. 30 feet is a long
defensive pistol shot, nevermind a reasonable distance for pepper spray, impact weapons, or even Tasers.
And, no matter what weapon you use, (including handguns,) "instantly" is going to be problematic.
If you have 30 feet distance, your best bet is to try to keep it. That is, back away from the threat (or hell, run if you can.) As JohnKSa noted, first your life may be on the line; but if not most certainly every penny you have in the bank, your house, your health, your family, and your freedom are on the line. If running will keep you alive, free, and out of courtrooms, that sounds like a great outcome to me.
There are likely other experts on the board who can provide more details than I can.
But generally speaking, the non-lethal force continuum moves from entirely passive tools such as "light", to more active tools such as "sound" (e.g. personal sirens - they basically serve to draw attention), to obscurants or lacrimators such as OC pepper spray or CN or CS-based aerosol sprays.
The difference between the two can be (but isn't always) important. Basically, Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) is organic. It is extracted from plants.
CN and CS are non-organic. They are chemical compounds. In at least one case I'm familiar with the 'attacker' filed suit against the 'defender' for "assault with chemical weapons" after having been sprayed with CN/CS.
Both are effective, but only to the extent that the attacker is sprayed directly in the eyes, nose, and mouth.
You won't get that effect at 30 feet. These are close range non-lethal tools.
Next on the force continuum are impact weapons such as ball bats, pieces of pipe, golf clubs, or ASP batons. While a Lousiville slugger or one of those Mag-light flashlights with 5 D-cell batteries in it might sound like a great choice, you may want to think twice. In general, while it sounds nuts, using something that was designed for (something else) against a person opens you up for greater liability than if you hit someone with something designed to hit people with. Basically, if you want to carry an impact weapon, select either a Monadnock baton, or an ASP expanding baton, or something else designed to knock the **** out of people. Don't hit someone with a flashlight.
Obviously, all these impact weapons require very close range to use. They don't meet your needs either.
Tasers probably don't either, but they are more effective at say, 7'-9' than a baton. Besides, I'm in my mid-50s also. I'm not going fisticuffs with some younger guy hopped up on either booze or chemicals. He isn't going to get that close in the first place, or we're going to very rapidly progress up the violence continuum... We're really talking about a non-lethal option to use if suddenly confronted at close range.
Most likely, as John noted, your best bet for a non-lethal option is a spray - either OC or OC mixed with CN/CS. Keep in mind that using a non-lethal option does not preclude using lethal force afterward, if the threat does not subside.
It simply indicates to a jury that you were willing to try non-lethal force before resorting to lethal force.
Again, if you indeed "have a real fear that this will probably occur", consult a lawyer. Get your ducks in a row. Communicate with the courts and with the individual (via the lawyer). Whatever money you spend on legal fees BEFORE you shoot someone is absolute chump change compared to the legal fees you will spend AFTER you shoot someone. Anything you can possibly do to avoid having to use lethal violence is much more effective than whatever you'll do after using lethal violence. In this game, the saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is as true as it ever was.
There is really too much on the line in cases like this to just hope it will all go away. It's trite, but 'failing to plan' means 'planning to fail'. When the guy is suddenly in your face, you will react as you've planned to. If you have made no plan...that's probably how effective your response will be. Good luck with your situation.
Doc
But there may be some clarity needed about where the line is between personal protection and enforcing the law.