In June, during a day of intense demonstrations against the federal government’s immigration policies and the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles, the city’s police force fired more than 1,000 projectiles at protesters. This information was made public by a state-required report on use of force that was released by the police department on a Monday. The report revealed the kinds of projectiles that were used, notably rubber and foam rounds, bean bags, and tear gas, over the course of several protest days within the city.
Specifically, on June 6, the law enforcement agency discharged 34 rounds at approximately 100 individuals. A couple of days later, on June 8, the number escalated drastically, with officers launching 1,040 projectiles at an estimated crowd of 6,000 protesters. Among the projectiles used that day, 20 rounds of CS gas, a form of tear gas, were included. The report also stated that six protest participants suffered injuries due to the projectiles.
The number of police officers present on June 8 recounted to 584. The protests that day were remarkably intense, with protesters taking over a major freeway and even setting autonomous vehicles ablaze. The content of the report alarmed Josh Parker, deputy director of policy at the Policing Project based at New York University’s School of Law.
After perusing the data, Parker expressed his concern regarding the methods adopted by the police, stating, ‘If that’s your response to a protest, then your approach is fundamentally flawed.’ The events witnessed during the demonstrations led to increased scrutiny of law enforcement’s use of such munition types.
One protester, who had suffered the devastating loss of a digit due to a hit from the projectiles, went on to file a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles. The following year, 2021, saw the state of California putting limitations on the employment of such less lethal munitions until all alternate force strategies for crowd control have been exhausted.
According to the new regulation, it became unacceptable for law enforcement officers to fire blindly into a crowd or target critical body parts like the head, neck, or other major organs. It also became illegal to discharge projectiles merely as a response to individuals breaking curfew, issuing verbal threats towards officers, or refusing to comply with directions, for instance, not dispersing when an unlawful assembly is declared.
The frequency and the large number of projectiles used over a concise time frame induced a serious concern in Parker that there have been violations of the law and the best practices. The Los Angeles Police Department had plans for a thorough review and evaluation of each use-of-force incident.
The protests also had a harsh impact on the police department, with 52 officers requiring medical treatment for the injuries sustained during the tumultuous and violent days of the demonstrations. The actions of the officers were defended as necessary measures to prevent further harm.
Tensions heightened in downtown Los Angeles on the day National Guard troops arrived to patrol federal buildings on June 8. Some individuals within the mass of demonstrators resorted to damaging buildings, pitching rocks, fragments of concrete, incendiary devices, and various other objects towards the officers of law enforcement.
As night fell, many protesters departed, but a small group stayed behind, barricading a street with chairs and persisting with their object-throwing activities towards the police on the other side. Law enforcement tried to restore order, issuing several declarations of unlawful assembly, which led to the shutdown of demonstrations in multiple parts of downtown Los Angeles. However, the crowd insisted on staying and munitions were employed to bring the situation to a manageable state.
Parker advised the department to prepare for contingencies where protests could take a turn towards unruliness and resort to throwing objects. Emphasis was placed on the importance of crowd management techniques. He further argued that it was integral for the law enforcement agencies to avoid unnecessary provocation with aggressive language or conspicuously displayed weapons.
The use of projectiles by the sheriff’s deputies of Los Angeles vastly outnumbered those used by LAPD. A smaller contingent of over 80 deputies engaged on June 8, reportedly discharged upwards of 2,500 projectiles. Similarly, the California Highway Patrol, who responded to the blockage of a major freeway by a crowd of approximately 2,000 protesters, utilized 271 rounds.
According to the data reports by LA police and deputies, the projectile usage numbers were high, especially considering the limited number of deputies assigned by the sheriff’s department. Parker expressed doubt over whether law enforcement officers and leaders fully comprehend the implications of the existing law and the restrictions it poses, indicating that they tend to revert to former practices.
The post Unprecedented Police Response to LA Protesters Revealed in Report appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
