California police department training to use nunchucks

ANDERSON, CA (KTRK) -- A California police department is now using nunchucks as a way to forcibly restrain suspects.

It's illegal to own nunchucks in the state of California, ABC affiliate KRCR-TV reports. Police, however, can be certified to use them as a multipurpose weapon.

The Anderson Police Department is doing just that, saying nunchucks are an excellent non-lethal tool to help officers deal with a violent suspect.

Sgt. Casey Day says the specially designed nunchucks can be used to hit, strike and jab someone to the ground. Unlike batons, they can also be used as a restraint.

"These were kind of designed with a different goal in mind to be more of a control weapon, but like I said, it's not like we can't use these as an impact weapon," Day explained. "They work really good as an impact weapon, but we try to emphasize a control tool over impact."

The officers are trained to target a criminal's hands, knees or wrists. Sgt. Day told KRCR-TV that out of all the officers who have been trained with nunchucks, not one has had to use them yet.