Tasers were introduced as non-lethal weapons for police to use to subdue fleeing, belligerent, or potentially dangerous people, who would have otherwise been subjected to more lethal weapons such as firearms. A 2009 Police Executive Research Forum study said that officer injuries drop by 76% when a Taser is used.[7] However, while Taser CEO Rick Smith has stated that police surveys show that the device has saved 75,000 lives,[7] there have been some instances where Tasers have resulted in serious injury or death.[8][9][10] Although some other companies have produced similar devices (e.g., Raysun X1),[11][12] their significance as of 2014 is still marginal