Name: Texas police deployed less-lethal ammunition to control protests. Now policymakers want to ban the weapons
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Texas police deployed less-lethal ammunition to control protests. Now policymakers want to ban the weapons

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11:31 AM on Jun 9, 2020 CDTA growing number of people suffering serious injuries in Dallas, Austin and across the nation from plastic, rubber and wooden bullets are raising new questions about how and when police officers use these weapons.The conversation is happening against and demonstrations resulting from sustained police brutality against black people.Dallas police — and other local law enforcement agencies that were also on patrol downtown — are investigating two incidents that happened during the first weekend of protests. Meanwhile, Austin’s police chief on June 4 after , and a were critically injured.And now, Dallas and state policymakers are calling for the prohibition of these weapons.Dallas Council member Adam Bazaldua, who represents East and South Dallas, on Monday called on the police chief to prohibit any use of force in protests — including less-lethal ammunition — “except in most extreme circumstances.”“When I say that I don’t want these used, it’s because we’ve seen that they’ve been used inappropriately,” Bazaldua said.The topic is also expected to be part of the next legislative session in Austin.“We have people in critical condition at the hospital,” said state Rep. Erin Zwiener, a Driftwood Democrat. "Even if these aren’t as life-ending as often, they’re certainly life-altering. And I’m not seeing these weapons used with the judiciousness and respect for life that a weapon of the kind requires.”Texas state law does not specifically regulate less-lethal ammunition. However, according to state policy experts, the use of these weapons is generally governed by several statutes that spell out rules around use of force. What’s more, big-city police departments typically have policies that dictate training, use and reporting requirements around weapons and contact with civilians, experts said.Dallas Police general orders, a manual that outlines how officers are supposed to conduct themselves, detail how officers should use the “Stinger” Less Lethal Launching system. The stinger is a gun that fires plastic ammunition with a top made of a dense foam material. Weapons experts said not to confuse the foam used for these types of bullets with a kitchen sponge or Nerf toy gun.Related:Among the guidelines: Officers are required to have eight hours of training per year and to immediately report when they use them, and they are not to aim at a person’s head. After the launcher is fired, officers are supposed to notify a supervisor.Dallas police are investigating whether officers broke policy during incidents from the first wave of protests on May 30. Brandon Saenz, 26, lost his left eye during an afternoon protest near the city’s main library. And Vincent Doyle, 21, said he was shot by a projectile later that night near Bank of America Plaza downtown.Doyle’s injuries, which have not been previously reported, include deep cuts on his left cheek and blurred vision. Doyle said he was in downtown Dallas to photograph the protests. He was filming a cadre of police officers marching through downtown when he said he saw a laser pointed his way. He yelled an expletive, then “don’t shoot!”A boom followed.“I’m still processing,” he said last week while recovering at the hospital. “I didn’t think they were going to do anything.”A police spokesman said in at least one case, the family notified the department of the shooting. However, when The Dallas Morning News attempted to clarify further, he declined additional comment since both cases are under investigation.The News requested several interviews regarding these cases and the general use of less-lethal weapons and provided questions to police in writing. Police did not respond.However, Dallas Police Chief U. Reneé Hall said during a heated City Council meeting Friday that the department’s investigation into one of the incidents so far suggested an officer from either Irving or Garland shot the weapon that injured one of the men — in part because they believe the ammunition was made of wood, not plastic.Spokesmen for both Irving and Garland police said all three departments are reviewing body cam footage.“The chief’s desire is to have an answer by the end of the week," said Irving Officer Robert Reeves.Officers from Irving and Garland and state troopers were on hand early during the protests to assist Dallas police.Dallas officials — including Hall — began outlining new policy shifts in response to the protests last week. The chief that she was updating the department’s manual to require police officers “to either stop, or attempt to stop, another employee when force is being inappropriately applied or is no longer required.”Related:City Manager T.C. Broadnax on Friday outlined a series of new police reforms, but none of them mentioned the weapons. However, city council members have discussed scaling back what police may use for crowd control.Several council members questioned Hall and Broadnax about the less-lethal weapons used on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge during a June 1 peaceful demonstration. Mayor Eric Johnson also pressed Hall about whether officers used rubber bullets. Hall on Friday said she didn’t know.Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam McGough on Monday said he’s frustrated that the council hasn’t gotten more information from Hall. He said it’s harder to act and implement policies when they don’t know exactly what happened.“Everybody’s watching, and we’re going to be held accountable for what we didn’t know and what we have done,” McGough told Hall.Dallas Police Association President Mike Mata said city officers have been using these weapons for several years. He said while officers are regularly trained, it’s difficult to anticipate every scenario. It’s also nearly impossible to predict how a person in the line of sight will react after an officer has pulled the trigger, he said.“There is no perfect tool,” he said.The British military developed rubber bullets, the first form of less-lethal ammunition, 50 years ago to help control nationalist rioters in Northern Ireland, said Alex del Carmen, a criminology professor at Tarleton State University in Fort Worth.Del Carmen said while these weapons have been popular overseas, including in places such as Israel, widespread use is a recent phenomenon in the U.S.Stitches run through the center of Gemicah Jones’ Texas tattoo after being struck by a less lethal bullet. Jones was at a protest in Austin on May 30 when the bullet enterned near an artery in his forearm. He needed emergency surgery. — Brontë Wittpenn (@BronteWittpenn)While no national or state policy exists to explicitly regulate their use, del Carmen said, that “force should always commensurate with the threat.”“The idea is not to kill someone but to remind them of pain,” he said, adding that it’s almost always likely that when this type of ammunition is used, injuries will occur. “The norm is that any time you put a human element with a rubber gun in a transient situation, you’re going to have those incidents that I’m gravely concerned about.”Researchers at Berkeley found that between 1990 and 2017, at least 1,984 people worldwide were injured by these types of weapons. Fifty-three died and 300 people suffered permanent disability, according to the 2017 study.The researchers found there are more than 75 different types of less-lethal bullets and launchers made in countries including Brazil, China and the U.S. They are called bird shots, rubber balls, foam bullets and kinetic impact projectiles. Made of rubber, plastic and metal — each causes its own degree of torment.Another factor that determines the severity of injury appears to be the distance between the person firing the weapon and the person hit. The shorter the distance, the more lethal they become. The further the distance, the less accurate they become.“We have serious doubts that those weapons can be used in any manner that are safe and effective,” said Nick Hudson, a policy analyst for the Texas ACLU. His organization sent a letter to city, county and police officials discouraging the use of these weapons as a way to control crowds.“Police brutality and racism is the reason we’re here, and the use of these weapons against the protesters is only deepening the pain and anguish of black communities.”Staff writers Hayat Norimine and Tommy Magelssen contributed to this report. Get email alerts on breaking news stories as soon as they happen.By signing up you agree to our

11:31 AM on Jun 9, 2020 CDTA growing number of people suffering serious injuries in Dallas, Austin and across the nation from plastic, rubber and wooden bullets are raising new questions about how and when police officers use these weapons.The conversation is happening against and demonstrations resulting from sustained police brutality against black people.Dallas police — and other local law enforcement agencies that were also on patrol downtown — are investigating two incidents that happened during the first weekend of protests. Meanwhile, Austin’s police chief on June 4 after , and a...

Texas police deployed less-lethal ammunition to control protests. Now policymakers want to ban the weapons

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