Possible effects of using a CEW on a subject could include which of the following?

• A. Immediately falling
• B. Hearing or screaming
• C. Having vertigo
• D. Having critical incident amnesia

Answer: (A)

CEWs deliver brief, high-voltage pulses that disrupt normal nerve signaling to muscles, causing rapid, involuntary contractions. This neuromuscular incapacitation can make it impossible for a person to stand or control their movements, so they often fall to the ground within moments of exposure. That immediate loss of motor control and balance is the most likely observable effect right after a CEW burst.

Hearing or screaming can occur as a reaction to pain, but it’s not the defining immediate outcome and isn’t guaranteed. Vertigo or dizziness and any memory gaps aren’t typical immediate effects of the electrical burst itself.