Policing/ First non-deadly shot

The police department in Ferguson, Missouri, is among many experimenting with the Alternative, a new technology that its creators say makes bullets less deadly. Designed to save lives on both sides of the gun, it's become more relevant in the wake of high-profile police shooting cases, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann.

The goal whenever cops draw their guns is not only to stop a deadly threat, but also to save as many lives as possible.

"If the officers' life or an innocent bystander's life is in immediate danger, they need to react with their weapon. That is their first lethal force option. We just want to provide them a second one," Ellis said.

The Alternative is an orange plastic bracket that snaps onto the barrel of the gun. When a bullet is fired, it embeds in the round metal chamber at the end of the bracket and propels it toward the target at about one-fifth the speed.

New weapons tech makes bullets less deadly