Federal judge bars the LAPD's use of some 'less-lethal' weapons at protests

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A federal judge banned Los Angeles Police Department officers from using some so-called less-lethal launchers at protests, after finding that the department violated previous court restrictions by using such projectile weapons to disperse crowds at last summer’s mass demonstrations against immigration enforcement.In her ruling Wednesday, U.S.District Judge Consuelo B.

Marshall sided with a contempt motion filed by attorneys for Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles.That same day LAPD officials sent a department-wide memo announcing an immediate moratorium on the use of the 40-millimeter weapons in light of Marshall’s ruling.The memo advised those seeking further clarity to contact the department’s risk management and legal affairs division.“Accordingly, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY the 40mm SHALL NOT be used during any CROWD CONTROL situation,” said the memo, a copy of which was reviewed by The Times.

California An LAPD official said 86 complaints are under investigation as of Friday, including 59 cases of possible excessive force and three in which people were hospitalized.A preliminary injunction handed down by Marshall in 2021 placed certain restrictions on the weapons’ use, including requiring specialized training for handlers; the issuance of a warning before firing such weapons; and restricting their use only to situations in which “the officer reasonably believes that a suspect is violently resisting arrest or poses an immediate threat of violence or physical harm.”The latest order halts the use of a weapon, recognizable by its neon green handle, that has been used by police during recent protests to clear crowds after demonstrations were declared unlawful.The weapon launches projectiles the size of a mini soda can at speeds of more than 200 mph.But attorneys for Black Lives Matters-L.A.

argued that LAPD routinely flouted the injunction — citing numerous apparent...