NEW ORLEANS — The city has lifted its ban on stun guns after a lawsuit challenging whether the local law was constitutional.
New Orleans resident John Ford sued the city over the ban, claiming it violated state law, as well as his Second Amendment right to bear arms.
Before the city changed its local ordinance, the New Orleans man was the only person in the city allowed to own a stun gun. It’s still illegal to own brass knuckles, switchblades, spring knives, spring guns, iron buckles, sandclubs and silencers.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has concluded that stun guns are ‘firearms,'” city attorney Rebecca Dietz said. “Therefore, they are subject to the same state mandated regulations as any other firearm. Because state and federal law preempt the City of New Orleans’ ordinance, it was repealed to avoid any confusion.”
NOPD urges residents to receive proper training before owning a stun gun, and to keep them out of the hands of children.
The city says although it’s legal to own a stun gun, using a stun gun against another person comes with the same laws as any other weapon.
