San Diego, California - A new device that quickly turns a police officer's lethal pistol into a stun gun has been developed by Alternative Ballistics LP of San Diego, the Association of Mature American Citizens reports.

AMAC president Dan Weber said the new technology is already being tested by law enforcement organizations in the U.S. and South Africa as a means of providing cops with "an option" when confronting a violent situation. 

"An officer can choose to convert his standard issue weapon into what the company calls 'a blunt force impact device' in an instant."

The company calls the technology The AlternativeTM and said that by employing its "bullet capture technology in appropriate situations police are likely to prevent loss of life to the public at large in a way that was - until now - not possible."

The device is snapped onto the officers weapon and when the weapon is fired, the bullet propels a heavy ball knocking an assailant down when hit.

The Dallas-based research firm, MarketsandMarkets, recently issued a new report indicating that: "The inclination of the law enforcement agencies towards buying more non-lethal weapons in order to maintain the safety and security of public and property is projected to contribute to the growth of the Non-Lethal Weapons Market, globally."

Weber said the new technology gives police a "more powerful weapon than Tasers and chemical sprays, while allowing them to defend themselves without using lethal force."