LA protests: See police using 'less lethal' weapons.

Police departments across the country are increasingly adopting less-than-lethal weapons in the wake of police shootings in which unarmed citizens were killed, according to a January 2025 report by the Congressional Research Service. Some examples include:
Batons or nightsticks
Pepper spray
Tear gas
Tasers
Flash-bang grenades
Rubber bullets
Beanbag rounds
Sponge Grenades
Here's a look at key events over the last few days and various munitions being used by law enforcement:
Friday, June 6
Homeland Security agents detained several people outside a Home Depot west of downtown L.A., and later at a clothing store in the Fashion District. People gathered to photograph and video the officers, and a few protesters also arrived. Four search warrants were executed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a spokesperson for Homeland Security told the Los Angeles Times. At least 44 people were arrested.
By around 6:30 p.m. local time more than 100 people gathered at the immigration services building and detention center in downtown Los Angeles to protest the raids, according to Reuters. At around 7 p.m. local time, the Los Angeles Police Department declared it an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse. Some protesters threw pieces of broken concrete at the officers, who responded by firing tear gas and pepper spray. They also used flash-bang concussion rounds to disperse the crowd.
Pepper spray is a lachrymatory agent, which means it stimulates the eyes to produce tears. The main active ingredient is an oil known as oleoresin capsicum, the same agent that provides "heat" in chili peppers, according to Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician in New York City. It is typically dispersed as an aerosol or as small particles in a liquid spray, according to the National Capital Poison Center. Pepper sprays and mists can travel 8 to 12 feet, according to Sabre, a popular brand of pepper spray. Gel sprays can travel 20% farther.
Saturday, June 7
The next day, larger protests began in the town of Paramount, south of Los Angeles, linked to rumors of a possible immigration raid. According to Los Angeles Times reporters who were on the scene, each time protesters threw anything at the agents or the police, tear gas and flash-bang rounds were fired back by federal agents. Law enforcement could also be seen firing pepper-spray balls in videos.
With a range of up to 30 feet, pepper-spray balls are made of plastic that breaks on impact to release a chemical irritant intended to stun or incapacitate somebody. Sometimes, they contain marking paint for identifying a suspect or a particular area. Pepper-spray balls are typically the same caliber as recreational paintballs. They are typically deployed with paintball-style guns powered by compressed air.
According to Homeland Security, on Saturday night, rioters surrounded the immigration services building and detention center, "assaulted ICE law enforcement officers, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and taxpayer-funded property. " In response, Trump signed a presidential memorandum deploying "at least" 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
Sunday, June 9
Early Sunday, dozens of National Guard troops arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center three blocks from Los Angeles City Hall. By 10:30 a.m., as many as 300 members of the California National Guard had been deployed in three separate parts of the city. Crowds of protesters began arriving in the area around the federal complex around noon. Protests were not widespread, and most of the city was quiet.
The situation escalated as the afternoon wore on. Many protesters waved Mexican flags or hybrid Mexican-American flags and chanted anti-ICE slogans. Some were also seen throwing water bottles and other objects at officers and law enforcement vehicles. Videos shared on social media and footage from local television stations showed officers in riot gear, with the sound of flash-bangs in the background.
Lauren Tomasi, a U.S. national correspondent for Australia's 9News, was sore but unharmed after being shot in the leg by a Los Angeles officer. The incident was captured on video.
At least five Waymo self-driving taxis were vandalized by protesters who spray-painted them with anti-Trump and anti-ICE slogans. At least two were set on fire.
At one point, a crowd of protesters walked onto the 101 Freeway, blocking traffic in both directions. They were confronted by officers in riot gear, and by 5 p.m. local time the freeway was cleared.
LAPD said on X that it had placed officers across the city on "tactical alert." The police department later declared an "unlawful assembly" for the Civic Center area and the historic Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles, an area covering a small portion of the sprawling city of 500 square miles. It had authorized the "use of less lethal munitions."
Videos and photos at the scene showed police firing sponge grenades and other less lethal projectiles. Sponge grenades, or sponge rounds, are designed to stop violent aggressors without killing them and for crowd control. These projectiles are designed to cause blunt trauma and pain that temporarily disables the person.
They are supposed to be fired at the legs or lower torso, and police are trained to avoid the head, neck and groin. Firing the projectiles from a distance decreases their force and accuracy and increases the risk of shooting people in the face or hitting bystanders. Firing too closely increases the risk of serious injury.
At 8 p.m., authorities moved in aggressively with flash-bangs and tear gas grenades, sending hundreds of people running, their eyes streaming with tears. Helicopters clattered overhead as protesters fled the area to the honking of car horns and periodic cheers. Other video shot in the Compton area later that evening also shows flashbangs being deployed.
Documents describing L.A.P.D.'s use of force tactics also list the beanbag shotgun. A bean bag round is a small fabric sack filled with No. 9 lead shot and fired by a shotgun. It is designed to expand in flight and cause trauma to the body, including muscle spasms, without penetrating the skin. These rounds are intended to be fired at large muscle groups on a dangerous person. The head and neck areas should be avoided to prevent killing them.
Other munitions such as rubber or plastic bullets, also known as kinetic impact projectiles, have been used by law enforcement to control crowds.
A 2017 study by the medical journal BMJ Open using injury data collected over 27 years found that of 1,984 people injured by rubber and plastic bullets and other projectiles in arrests and protests, "53 died as a result of their injuries and 300 others suffered permanent disability." Deaths and permanent disability were often caused by "strikes to the head and neck," the study said.
Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, Trevor Hughes, John Bacon, N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Michael Loria, Tom Vanden Brook Davis Winkie, USA TODAY
Read more:
Live updates: 700 Marines being sent to LA for riot assistance in response to protests
Timeline: LA protests went from small to substantial over three days. Here's what unfolded
'Less lethal' can still maim and kill: A visual guide to weapons police use on protesters

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

NBC News

a day ago

• NBC News

Jurors see more texts between Cassie and Diddy as prosecutors prepare to rest case

Diddy's trial was abbreviated this week. The proceedings were effectively canceled Wednesday after a juror called in sick, and federal court wasn't in session Thursday in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. But this morning, all the key players returned to the courtroom to hear testimony from one of the rapper's former personal assistants. Here's what you need to know about Day 27 of the trial: Brendan Paul testified about the demands of his job as one of Diddy's former assistants. He told jurors he once went without sleep for three days. He recalled being asked to buy thousands of dollars' worth of drugs. He said the music mogul didn't take 'no' for an answer and compared his staff assistants to the U.S. military's SEAL Team 6. Paul, facing cross-examination from defense attorney Brian Steel, agreed that Diddy's ex-girlfriend ' Jane ' did not seem hesitant or apprehensive before 'freak offs.' Paul said Jane appeared to be a willing participant in the sexual encounters — contradicting her testimony and the government's narrative. U.S. government prosecutors walked jurors through text messages from Cassie Ventura to Diddy. In one text, Ventura said she didn't deserve to be beaten by him. 'That's not love, that's possession,' Ventura wrote, apparently referencing the 2016 hotel assault recorded on video. The defense again attempted to portray 'freak offs' as consensual encounters. They entered into evidence a March 2017 text message in which Ventura wrote: 'I love our FO's, when we both want it.' 🔎 The view from inside By Adam Reiss, Chloe Melas, Katherine Koretski and Jing Feng Diddy, wearing a white sweater and black pants, appeared engaged in today's testimony. He seemed to pay close attention to prosecutor Maurene Comey as she questioned U.S. government summary witness Joseph Cerciello, a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security. Paul, the ex-assistant, struck an ambiguous note as he concluded testimony for the day. When asked by prosecutor Christy Slavik how he feels about Diddy today, Paul replied with two cryptic words: 'It's complicated.' 👨‍⚖️ By Danny Cevallos Cerciello, the Homeland Security special agent, testified about charts of evidence compiled by prosecutors to confirm they correspond to thousands of pages of records, including text messages. Diddy will almost surely not testify. But it doesn't really matter. That's because in a modern criminal case — especially a federal criminal case — prosecutors can get witnesses and defendants' 'testimony' in front of the jury without them ever taking the stand. Combing through thousands of pages of text messages is something at which special agents and federal prosecutors excel. It doesn't matter that a single text message or a short series of messages could be taken out of context. Prosecutors will introduce it and add their own context. After all, if the defendant thinks these statements are misleading, he can take the stand and dispute them, right? Except, most of the time, the defendant does not take the stand. In this case so far, the star witnesses have arguably not been the humans. They have been things like text messages, financial records and other documents. For some reason, people have always put things in text messages as though they could never become public. We're all guilty of that, too. All of us are likely part of a text message 'group' with our friends or family where we say things that, if publicly revealed, would cause us a lot of problems. Certainly for Diddy, these texts have caused him a lot of problems — arguably more than the people who testified against him. U.S. government prosecutors are expected to rest their case on Monday. Diddy's defense team has signaled it will need around two days to present its case. If that rough timeline holds, closing arguments could take place Thursday. PSA: Every night during Diddy's trial, NBC's 'Dateline' will drop special episodes of the 'True Crime Weekly' podcast to get you up to speed. 'Dateline' correspondent Andrea Canning chats with NBC News' Chloe Melas and special guests — right in front of the courthouse. Listen here.

NBC News

a day ago

• NBC News

Judge says Mahmoud Khalil is not a flight risk or national security threat and should be released

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil from immigration custody. NBC News Homeland Security Correspondent Julia Ainsley explains the judge's decision. NBC News Political and National Correspondent Jacob Soboroff is on the ground in Los Angeles as Vice President JD Vance heads to California to tour federal facilities amid Immigration and Customs Enforcement 20, 2025

Scottish Sun

2 days ago

• Scottish Sun

Explosive new Diddy mansion pics reveal star's shelves stacked with baby oil, a vast weapons arsenal & ketamine stash

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BOMBSHELL new images from Sean "Diddy" Combs' mansion have been revealed - with shelves stacked with baby oil, shotguns sprawled around, and his ketamine stash unveiled. The disgraced music mogul, 55, is currently on trial in New York for sex-trafficking, and faces life behind bars if convicted. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 10 Shelves of baby oil were photographed in the mansion Credit: Department of Justice 10 Agents also discovered various weaponry Credit: Department of Justice 10 Bags of ketamine were seized Credit: Department of Justice 10 Sean 'Diddy' Combs at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Credit: Getty He's pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution, as prosecutors alleged his business empire was also a criminal enterprise. The abundance of explosive pics were released by federal prosecutors as the trial was stalled due to the Juneteenth holiday. The bombshell items were seized by Homeland Security officials during the March 2024 raid at Combs' mansion in the neighborhood of Holmby Hills - a playground for the rich and famous. One chilling image shows baby oil neatly displayed across three shelves in one room of the sprawling property. READ MORE ON DIDDY TRIAL SHOCK Kanye sensationally crashes Diddy trial but 'storms out mins later' Homeland Security Investigations agent Andre Lamon has testified that he found 900 bottles of lubricant Astroglide and 200 bottles of baby oil at Combs' home. Defense Attorney Marc Agnifilo said the disgraced star likes to "buy in bulk like any other American". Another image shows various weapons confiscated by agents, including deadly AR-15 style rifles and pump shotguns. Investigators also discovered bags of the drug ketamine that were photographed as evidence. Federal prosecutors have alleged that the Schedule III, or Class B substance was used in the infamous "freak-offs". Combs would put women through days-long "freak-off" sex parties while filming them, a court heard last month. Kanye shows up to Diddy's sex trafficking trial in blacked out Maybach after being spotted in NYC with wife Bianca A few weeks ago, Combs' ex-girlfriend testified about opening "Pandora's box" after she agreed to the music executive's proposal to engage in sex with strangers. The woman, who is being identified in court under the pseudonym Jane, recalled on the stand about falling "head over heels" for Combs after they first met in late 2020. She said that she did various drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy, molly, and ketamine, every time she saw Combs between February and May 2021. During the March 2024 raid, a hard drive was also seized, and the property's security system was turned off. Combs forked out almost $40 million on the 17,000 square-foot, 10-bedroom home back in September 2014. He put it on the market a decade later for $61.5 million. The property boasts outdoor features such as a swimming pool, and its lawns are neat. Inside, there is a 35-seat theater room, a wine cellar, a gym, as well as a state-of-the-art gourmet kitchen. Its other features include a basketball court, spa room, and an outdoor loggia-style facility where barbecues can be hosted, per the Zillow listing. 10 Combs' Los Angeles home lies empty more than a year after being raided by the feds Credit: The US Sun 10 900 bottles were allegedly found at the mansion Credit: Department of Justice 10 Numerous guns were found in the raid Credit: Department of Justice 10 Drawers allegedly contained women's lingerie and heels Credit: Department of Justice 10 Combs' trial is expected to last eight to 10 weeks Credit: Department of Justice There's also an underground swimming tunnel that is linked to a grotto. Meanwhile, even if Combs is found guilty, he could be pardoned by President Donald Trump. Trump surprised reporters by commenting on the court case during a news conference with Elon Musk and revealed he would consider whether or not he has been "mistreated." Asked if he would consider pardoning him, Trump said, "Nobody's asked. But I know people are thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking." He said he felt the former music mogul used to like him "a lot" but wasn't his biggest fan after he went into politics. Despite this, Trump said, "I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don't like me, it wouldn't have any impact on me." If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at 800-656-HOPE (4673). Diddy locked eyes with us as he entered the courtroom - inside the trial of the decade By Israel S-Rodriguez, Senior News Reporter at The U.S. Sun The federal sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs began with jury selection on May 5. Combs is standing trial at the Southern District of New York Courthouse in Lower Manhattan - an intimidating federal courthouse where the cases of Ghislaine Maxwell, Donald Trump, and Bernard Madoff, among others, were tried. Once a powerful founder of a music and business empire, Combs has been reduced to a defendant, inmate 37452-054, stripped of his mogul status, and now standing trial on five federal charges with the full wrath of the United States government against him. When I attended Day 3 of jury selection at the federal courthouse on May 7, the buzz around the start of the trial was palpable. Hours before the courthouse opened its doors, more than a dozen reporters and members of the public stood in line in hopes of securing a seat in the gallery for the high-profile trial. As you walk through the glass door entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, you are met by bulletproof vest-clad court officers. All visitors must separate their electronic devices from their personal belongings, which are passed through a metal detector. Visitors walk through a metal detector before a court officer hands them a poker chip. The courthouse uses a poker chip system to sort the number of electronic devices visitors are in possession of. Electronic devices, such as Bluetooth-powered headphones, voice recorders, laptops, cellphones, and smart watches, are confiscated before you're allowed to enter the courthouse's main hallway. As about a half-dozen reporters and I waited in the gallery for jury selection, we witnessed how Combs entered the courtroom shackle-free. Combs entered with his hands pressed together, greeted his defense team before he examined the gallery, and locked eyes with reporters and potential jurors. The 55-year-old disgraced Bad Boy Records executive was attentive and engaged with his counsel as they grilled dozens of potential jurors. As jury selection wrapped up for the day, Combs embraced each of his female defense attorneys before he mouthed "thank you" to a handful of supporters in the gallery. I attended trial again as opening statements got underway on May 12 and the world media waited anxiously outside the federal courthouse before the sun rose in Lower Manhattan. A line stretched down the block from the federal courthouse as some members of the media and from the public camped out overnight to try to obtain a coveted seat inside the gallery. At least three overflow rooms were made available for reporters and the public, who are eager to witness the prosecutions case against the music mogul. At least half a dozen members of Combs' family arrived at the courthouse as spectators filed in single order to enter the federal building to turn over all their electronic devices. Combs' trial is being held on the 26th floor in Judge Arun Subramanian's courtroom and is expected to last for eight weeks. We'll bring it all to you on The U.S. Sun.