Photos and videos Masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents in military-style gear from Minneapolis, Chicago and other US cities are shown pointing weapons at people protesting or observing immigration enforcement actions. These aren't extraordinary firearms. They are riot control agents, and so they project cascades or smoke plumes.
In other scenes Popping up in cities across the country, officers launch metal canisters that explode loudly and scatter lights. Targeted persons are shown shouting, disorderly and Bleeding in some cases After being killed at close range. People covered in smoke cough and gasp for air.
Are these weapons all right? What do they do to the human body? Are there rules governing their use? And what are their short- and long-term health effects?
As a physician-researcher WHO Investigated The health consequences of a long time of human rights violations, including Misuse of so-called less lethal weapons In several countriesincluding The United Statesnow we have studied how these tools are deployed and the damage they could cause.
What are less lethal weapons?
US law enforcement And federal agents are deployed Four main categories Crowd control weapons: chemical distractors, kinetic impact projectiles generally known as caps, disorientation devices and electronic control weapons.
These weapons are dubbed “Less lethal“Comparable to live ammunition. But “less lethal.” It does not mean harmless. They could cause pain, fear and physical stress and may end up in serious injury or death.
AP Photo/Adam Gray
Chemical irritants, commonly generally known as tear gas, Causes severe pain and irritation of eyes, skin and upper respiratory tract. They trigger coughing, difficulty respiratory, nausea, vomiting and nervousness. Delivered by spray, pellets or canisters, they're inherently indiscriminate, infecting anyone in the realm.
Tear gas is amongst essentially the most commonly used agents Chlorobenzylidene malononitrileCS for brief, and Oleoresin capsicum, or OC, also generally known as pepper spray. OC comprises capsaicin, the compound that offers chilies their burning heat, in concentrations 1000's of times higher than those present in natural chilies. An artificial version generally known as pava can be sometimes used. The amount, composition and concentration released can vary widely by manufacturer and country and may remain largely unregulated. Depending on the canister design, the spray will be forced to succeed in as much as 20 feet.
Andy Berning/Compound Interest 2020for , for , for , for , . CC BY-NC-ND
Estimates of dynamic effects Transfer energy from a moving object to a body. Often called rubber bullets, they will be fabricated from rubber, plastic, metal, foam, wood or composite materials. Some are fired as single projections, while others are dispersed in multiple pellets. The risk of injury is determined by the scale, velocity, material, direction and firing distance of the projectile.
Flashbang Grenade, or Stun grenadesdesigned to degrade through a mix of deafening noise, light, heat, fragmentation and pressure. Some devices produce higher sound levels 170 decibels – Louder than most gun bullets.
Electronic transmission devicescomparable to Tasers, have historically been utilized in individual arrests, but they're increasingly utilized in protest policing. Metal barbs from the device lodge within the skin and deliver a high-voltage electrical current, causing severe pain and temporary lack of muscle control.
More recently, Lightning shields and devices attached to the body or equipment of an officer – Earlier it was used inside prisons – have appeared in protests in some countries.
How should less lethal weapons be used?
Released by the United Nations in 2020 Detailed guidance on the use of less lethal weapons In law enforcement agencies. In 2023 We worked with a world network of human rights practitioners and civil liberties organizations to conduct an updated evaluation of those weapons.
UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms State that force should only be used as a final resort, and must be proportionate to the danger. Officers using force should protect bystanders and vulnerable populations, comparable to children and older adults, and stop once the threat is over.
Similar principles appear within the use-of-force policies adopted by most US police departments The process is uneven. Department of Homeland Security and specifically ICE Elderly is the guide. Snow's recent actions already violate the vague language.
a 2021 Government Accountability Office Report found that the majority ice agents don't receive specialized training within the protected and proper use of crowd control weapons, and Training appears to be more limited Now
According to UN guidelines, before deploying such weapons, trained officers are expected to find out whether there may be an actual threat, communicate with demonstration leadership when possible, consider alternative options and supply clear warnings. If officers use crowd control weapons, they must be deployed to reduce injury and avoid indiscriminate damage.
Getty Images by Alison Diner/AFP
For the correct deployment of force, the UN use of force guidelines stipulate that officers mustn't fire weapons directly at individuals, and may avoid the pinnacle and face. They should communicate before deploying, use only minimal amounts and maintain protected exit routes.
In practice, these security measures will be difficult to implement in a fast-moving, crowded environment.
Potential health damage
Crowd control weapons could cause serious and sometimes everlasting injuries. Has a chemical irritant effect Before the eyes, skin and lungs, it causes scratching of the ocular surface, painful skin reactions, respiratory difficulties and severe psychological distress. Some people thrive Long-term post-traumatic stress disorder.
our A global review of the medical literature Between 2016 and 2021 there have been greater than 100,000 injuries from chemical irritants, together with no less than 14 deaths, all on account of blunt trauma from canisters. Increases at higher concentrations or longer exposures Risk of serious and permanent injuriesIncluding open wounds on the surface of the attention, chemical burns and chronic respiratory disease.
Estimates of dynamic effects Also, it could actually cause blunt and sharp injuries Eye injuries In the intense. Direct impact often ends in everlasting blindness and, in rare cases, entry into the brain through the attention socket.
Blunt head trauma from these projections could cause compromise, internal bleeding, skull fractures and lasting nerve damage. Projections that strike the chest, abdomen or genitalia can injure vital organs. The risk is biggest when KIPs contain metal components, are fired at close range or disperse multiple projectiles.
Our Global 2017 Systematic Review identified nearly 2,000 people injured by caps over 25 years, including 53 deaths and a whole lot of everlasting disabilities. Subsequent reviews document this Thousands more injuries worldwide, leading to everlasting disability or death.
Also carries flashbang grenades Critical risks. Investigative reporting And medical reviews have documented dozens of great injuries and deaths linked to their use within the United States. These devices have caused deep burns, hearing loss and more Blast injuriesespecially when deployed in confined spaces or thrown directly at individuals. When fired at an individual, these devices may also act as dynamic projectiles, posing a risk of great injury.
Electronic transmission devices can cause Dangerous heart rhythm problems and electrical injuries. When those barbs attack sensitive areas just like the eyes or genitalia, they may also tear the skin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXDWBZ3OEYC
In practice, the harm these “less lethal” weapons could cause depends less on how, where, and against whom they're used than on how they're used. In the absence of clear boundaries and oversight, people using their right to protest face real risks of injury.
From a medical viewpoint, Crowd control should be armed with weapons Move to fresh air, rinse exposed skin and eyes with clean water, and take away contaminated clothing from skin.
Anyone hit by a projectile or exposed to a flashbang should get a medical evaluation, even in the event that they do not have immediately obvious injuries. Internal injuries, eye damage, hearing loss or brain injury will not be apparent at first. Eye pain, vision changes, difficulty respiratory, chest symptoms, severe pain, or confusion warrant immediate medical attention, especially for youngsters, older adults, and other people with underlying health conditions.