March 2023 Blues Vol 39 No. 3

RUBBER BULLETS AND OTHER

RUBBER BULLETS AND OTHER KINETIC WEAPONS TEAR GAS “Tear gas” refers to crowd-control chemicals that irritate the mucus membranes and the eyes, causing tearing, coughing, difficulty breathing and skin irritation. One of the most commonly used chemicals is 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile, (nicknamed “CS” for the initials of the chemists who created it), which was used by the U.S. military in the Vietnam War. This “gas” is actually solid pellets that become aerosolized when they are deployed — fired in shells over crowds or thrown as grenades. Pepper spray is sometimes used this same way. WHAT THEY ARE KKinetic weapons include all the things police fire from guns and launchers that are meant to inflict pain without penetrating the skin. They are often less accurate than ordinary bullets, especially at long distances. Ideally, law enforcement officers aim kinetics at arms and legs to avoid major internal damage, unlike in lethal-weapon situations in which officers are taught to aim for the center of a person’s body. Kinetic weapons can be shot directly at people or “skip-fired,” which means aiming into the ground to disperse projectiles more widely and target only the lower body. Skip-firing is banned by some organizations because the bullets carom so unpredictably. SPONGE GRENADES are 40-millimeter rounds with foam noses that are slightly softer than their dense cores and deform when they hit a target. These are becoming the most common types of less-lethal projectiles, according to Cynthia Bir of the Wayne State University’s ballistic-research lab. These large rounds spread the force of impact out over a larger area, reducing the chance of injury. BATON ROUNDS, also called RUBBER BULLETS, can be made of foam, plastic, wood or rubber. They can be single rounds or multiple rounds packaged into one shell. BEANBAG ROUNDS are cloth bags containing lead pellets that fit into a cartridge. Beanbag rounds are intended to spread impact out over a larger area. Older square-shaped rounds have largely been replaced by sock-style bags, which are round and less likely to cause penetrating injuries. WHAT CAN GO WRONG Inhaled tear gas can cause inflammation, coughing, wheezing, vomiting and serious breathing difficulty, especially in people who have respiratory problems, according to Physicians for Human Rights. This effect is particularly dangerous during a pandemic in which the virus is spread by respiratory droplets. Other serious complications can arise. Heart rate and blood pressure can increase and cause cardiac problems, even heart attacks. Canisters are supposed to be fired over the heads of crowds, but that is not always the case. A direct hit can cause blunt-trauma injuries or even death. 37-MILLIMETER TEAR GAS SHELL CS TEAR GAS GRENADE 6 FEET - 165 FEET D.C. POLICE GUIDELINES SAY KINETIC WEAPONS SHOULD NOT BE USED IF SUBJECTS APPEAR CLOSER THAN SIX FEET OR FARTHER THAN 165 FEET. WHAT CAN GO WRONG Injuries from kinetic weapons are inevitable, experts say, and are part of the risk calculation. “To deploy these rounds and expect no injuries is just unrealistic,” Bir said, “even if just a bruise.” These projectiles can break bones, penetrate skin, fracture the skull, explode eyeballs and damage internal organs. Austin police critically injured a 20-year-old college student and bystander at a May 31 protest when a beanbag round hit him in the head. Serious injuries are much more likely when projectiles are fired from close range. A direct hit to the chest could result in heart arrhythmia or broken ribs, which can puncture the lungs or heart. Blindness and abdominal injuries are among the more common permanent injuries. 66 The BLUES The BLUES 67