MIAMI BEACH — Miami Beach cops are ditching their old school shotguns for ones that fire beanbags instead of bullets. <br /> <br />The new 12-gauge shotguns shoot beanbag rounds filled with lead shot and are designed to stop suspects in their tracks, not to kill, the Miami Herald reported. <br /> <br />Each round weighs about 40 grams, the same as a medium-sized egg. <br /> <br />Beanbag shotguns have an ideal range of 20 to 75 feet, which will help cops maintain greater distance from suspects than they can with a Taser. Tasers typically have a range of up to 12 feet. <br /> <br />Miami Beach cops plan to use the new shotguns in situations where a suspect is emotionally disturbed or dangerous and a threat to himself or others. <br /> <br />The move to replace old shotguns with a less lethal version comes amid several high-profile deaths of suspects killed by police officers. <br /> <br />Although beanbag shotguns are less lethal, they can still cause severe injuries or fatalities, so officers will undergo six weeks of training to learn how to use them.
