The paintball guns these weapons are based on aren't known to be highly accurate, IIRC. They fire a .75 in ball filled with liquid out of a typically smooth bore barrel. Not a paragon of accuracy. You might hit anyone with a weapon like that. They are meant for crowd control, not sniping.
Jeff Cooper wrote an excellent piece on 22 rimfire for riot control.
With modern medical attention, its not particularly lethal, but it does allow the authorities to address individuals.
>>You might hit anyone with a weapon like that.
That's why I've been a proponent of applying Rule .308 to key rioters. The guys turning over a car, firing up a bonfire, throwing a molotov, that sort of thing.
Riots would reduce substantially in size and intensity.
I am a paintball enthusiast, and more than the accuracy, I see another glaring issue that contributed tot his girls death.
According to the manufacturer of this system at their website,www.pepperball.com, the velocity settings on this weapon are between 300-380 FPS.
At most paintball fields, you're allowed to set your gun no higher than 285 FPS. At 300 FPS and a range of 20 feet, I've seen paintballs penetrate aluminum cans without bursting.
That being said, at a velocity of 300-380 FPS, I can easily see a paintball penetrating the eye.
I once suffered a devastating eye injury(Burst like a grape) from not wearing eye protection while operating a table saw. The optometerist informed me that had the projectile that struck my eye been smaller, it could've killed me.
Police that use these weapons must take extreme care not to hit targets in the face.