WAKEFIELD: Byrna Technologies  Inc. reports record online sales this weekend as civil unrest and wide scale looting in cities large and small across the United States drove demand for the Byrna HD personal security device.

The Byrna HD, which requires no license or permit to own, uses CO2 to fire chemical irritant projectiles containing pepper (OC) and tear gas (CS).  These projectiles can incapacitate a would-be assailant for up to 30 minutes by causing temporary blindness and respiratory distress.

Byrna’s customer service chat line exploded with calls from homeowners and shop owners looking for a non-lethal means of protecting their family and their property amid reports that police departments across the country  were overwhelmed and unable to respond on a timely basis.

To keep up with the growing demand for the Byrna HD personal security device, the Company is accelerating plans to bring its U.S. manufacturing facility online by the end of August 2020.

The current manufacturing facility in Pretoria South Africa is intended to be used to meet local South African demand as well as international orders while the U.S. facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana will be dedicated to fulfillment of  U.S. orders.