Editing FN 303 (section)

==Safety==
In October 2004, in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], [[Shooting of Victoria Snelgrove|Victoria Snelgrove]] was struck in the eye by an FN 303 round fired by a member of the [[Boston Police Department]] (BPD), leading to her death approximately 12 hours later.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofboston.gov/police/pdfs/report.pdf |title=Commission Investigating the Death of Victoria Snelgrove |page=14 |date=May 25, 2005 |access-date=April 25, 2009 |website=cityofboston.gov |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610210149/http://www.cityofboston.gov/police/pdfs/report.pdf |archive-date=June 10, 2011 |via=[[Wayback Machine]]}}</ref> An [[autopsy]] found that the pellet opened a three-quarter-inch (1.9&nbsp;cm) hole in the bone behind the eye, broke into nine pieces, and damaged the right side of her brain.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46757370/in-snelgrove-files-officers-recount/ |title=In Snelgrove files, officers recount night of chaos |first1=Donovan |last1=Slack |first2=Suzanne |last2=Smalley |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=1 |date=September 21, 2005 |access-date=March 15, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Subsequent tests by the BPD indicated that the FN 303's accuracy "decreased significantly" after about 300 firings.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46773402/crowd-control-guns-accuracy-is/ |title=Crowd-control gun's accuracy is questioned |first=Shelley |last=Murphy |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=17 |date=March 11, 2005 |access-date=March 15, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> This is circumstantially corroborated by testimony of the officer who fired the weapon, stating that he was aiming at a rioter throwing bottles and did not know that a bystander had been hit.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46773502/crowd-control-guns-accuracy-questioned/ |title=Crowd-control gun's accuracy questioned (cont'd) |first=Shelley |last=Murphy |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=19 |date=March 11, 2005 |access-date=March 15, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> A $15 million [[wrongful death claim|wrongful death]] lawsuit against the City of Boston and [[FN Herstal]] was settled in July 2006.<ref>{{cite news |title= Snelgrove family settles lawsuit|url= http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/07/14/snelgrove_family_settles_lawsuit/ |date=2006-07-14 |author=Murphy, Shelley |access-date=2009-06-05 |work=[[The Boston Globe]]}}</ref> In 2007, the BPD destroyed their remaining FN 303s, stating they were more powerful and lethal than had been anticipated.<ref>{{cite news|title=BPD: Pellet guns to be destroyed |url=http://media.www.berkeleybeacon.com/media/storage/paper169/news/2007/03/01/News/Bpd-Pellet.Guns.To.Be.Destroyed-2755628.shtml/ |date=2007-03-01 |author=Shea, Paddy |access-date=2009-06-05 |work=[[Berkeley Beacon]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070822051610/http://media.www.berkeleybeacon.com/media/storage/paper169/news/2007/03/01/News/Bpd-Pellet.Guns.To.Be.Destroyed-2755628.shtml |archive-date=August 22, 2007 }}</ref>

During protests in front of the [[Arcelor]] building in [[Luxembourg City|Luxembourg city]] on 11 May 2009, the weapon was used for the first time by local police. An [[RTL Group|RTL]] cameraman was hit in the hand, breaking one finger.<ref>{{cite news |title=ArcelorMittal: Siège am Viséier vun de Stolaarbechter |url=http://news.rtl.lu/news/national/18441.html |date=2009-05-11 |access-date=2009-05-20 |work=RTL.lu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515133739/http://news.rtl.lu/news/national/18441.html |archive-date=2009-05-15 }}</ref>

On 2 June 2013, during [[Gezi Park protests]] in [[Ankara]], [[Turkey]], a protester was wounded in the face by a "[[plastic bullet]]", later attributed to police use of the FN 303.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/27934674.asp |title=Emniyet: FN 303 kullandık |publisher=Hurriyet.com.tr |date=2015-01-10 |access-date=2015-01-10 |language=tr |quote=Police Forces: We used FN 303}}</ref>

During [[Independence Day (Finland)|Independence Day]] demonstrations in Finland on 6 December 2015, police used FN 303 against counter-protesters, with one receiving eye injuries from projectile fragments.<ref>{{cite news|title=Luodista silmäänsä saanut: "Aivan varmasti osallistun seuraavaankin mielenosoitukseen"|url=http://www.kansanuutiset.fi/artikkeli/3475541-luodista-silmaansa-saanut-aivan-varmasti-osallistun-seuraavaankin-mielenosoitukseen|access-date=12 December 2015|agency=Kansan Uutiset}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.iltasanomat.fi/kotimaa/art-1449428658950.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208172638/http://www.iltasanomat.fi/kotimaa/art-1449428658950.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 8, 2015|title=Video: Poliisi käytti anarkisteja vastaan paineilma-asetta – tällainen on FN 303|date=6 December 2015|work=Iltasanomat|language=fi|access-date=6 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/a1449372082033|title=Poliisi epäilee yli 30 ihmistä rikoksista itsenäisyyspäivän mielenosoituksissa – kaikki kiinniotetut vapautettu|date=6 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/poliisi_ampunut_mielenosoittajia_paineilma-aseella__yli_130_otettu_kiinni/8507915|title=Poliisi ampunut mielenosoittajia paineilma-aseella – yli 130 otettu kiinni|date=6 December 2015 }}</ref>

A 2019 study found that the performance of the FN 303 was significantly worse outside of a laboratory setting. Operational conditions were simulated by inducing physiological and psychological stress, and measuring salivary [[cortisol]]; accuracy and reported ease of use were both lower than that of the control group.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Taverniers|first1=John|last2=Suss|first2=Joel|date=2019-09-02|title=A user-centred assessment of a less-lethal launcher: the case of the FN 303® in a high-pressure setting|journal=Ergonomics|volume=62|issue=9|pages=1162–1174|doi=10.1080/00140139.2019.1626916|issn=0014-0139|pmid=31151364|s2cid=172137056}}</ref>