Sign in

westonrowland.bsky.social

@westonrowland.bsky.social
294 followers 71 following 4 posts
PostsRepliesMedia
westonrowland.bsky.social @westonrowland.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
54925
Reposted by @westonrowland.bsky.social
Joey Scott @joeyneverjoe.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
HUGE. A fed judge in the BLM vs City of Los Angeles case has banned LAPD from using 40mm rubber bullets at protests. "Defendants have not demonstrated substantial compliance or that all reasonable steps have been taken to be in compliance with the Court’s Preliminary Injunction Order."
ii. Ban on use of 40mm KIPS
Plaintiffs request the Court ban LAPD’s use of 40mm KIPS as a crowd
control tool, arguing that the Ninth Circuit has held that such munitions “are not
intended to disperse an individual; they are intended to ‘incapacitate’ a target.”
(Mot. at 15) (citing Nelson v. City of Davis, 685 F.3d 867, 873-74 (9th Cir. 2012);
Deorle v. Rutherford, 272 F.3d 1272, 1285 (9th Cir. 2001). The Court’s May 10,
2021 Preliminary Injunction provides restrictions on LAPD’s use of 40mm
munitions, including: a restriction on using the 40mm launchers in public demonstrations except by officers who successfully completed Department
training and meet all annual qualification requirements on the weapon; an officer
may use 40mm less-lethal munitions only when the officer reasonably believes
that a suspect is violently resisting arrest or poses an immediate threat of violence
or physical harm; use of 40mm less-lethal munitions should be preceded by a
warning, if feasible, consistent with the Use of Force Warning set forth in LAPD
Use of Force – Tactics Directive No. 17; they should only be fired at a distance of
five feet or greater from another person; and must not be used to target the head,
neck, face, eyes, kidneys, chest, groin or spine of a person. (See Preliminary
Injunction Order.) Here, Plaintiffs provide evidence that Defendants used 40mm
munitions on protestors who did not pose an immediate threat of violence of
physical harm, did not provide warnings before using the munitions, and hit
protestors in restricted areas of the body. (See Exs. 152-153, 169-173, 176;
Luksus Decl. ¶¶ 8-10; Ashby Decl. ¶¶ 1,3,6; Fernandez Decl. ¶¶ 2-6.) Defendants
violated the Court’s Preliminary Injunction Order regarding certain restricted uses
of the 40mm and therefore, a ban on 40mm launchers and less-lethal munitions is
appropriate.
The Court GRANTS Plaintiffs’ request for a ban on the use of 40mm KIPs
as a crowd control tool“If a violating party has taken all reasonable steps to comply with the court
order, technical or inadvertent violations of the order will not support a finding of
civil contempt.”) General Signal Corp. v. Donallco, Inc., 787 F.2d 1376, 1379
(9th Cir. 1986). “A contemnor in violation of a court order may avoid a finding of
civil contempt only by showing it took all reasonable steps to comply with the
order.” Kelly v. Wengler, 822 F.3d 1085, 1096 (9th Cir. 2016). Here, Plaintiffs
argue that Defendants directly violated the Court’s Preliminary Injunction by
“repeatedly [shooting] individuals in the face, eye, groin and back” with 40mm
weapons. (Mot at 10.) Because the Circuit has held that the 40mm munition is not
intended to disperse crowds, but “is chiefly designed, intended, and used for the
purpose of incapacitating its target,” Sanderlin v. Dwyer, 116 F.4th 905, 912 (9th
Cir. 2024), Plaintiffs argue these instances are not “technical or inadvertent” so as
to allow Defendants to avoid liability. (Id.)
However, Defendants have not demonstrated substantial compliance or that
all reasonable steps have been taken to be in compliance with the Court’s
Preliminary Injunction Order. (See Dkt. No. 243 at 4-7; Quiroz Decl. ¶ 4) (e.g.,
Crown management/Crowd Control management training, Crowd Management
and Control for Patrol training, requiring officers to undergo 24 hours of
perishable skills training every two years which includes use of force, LAPD
disseminated the content of the TRO to all personnel, and a notice to all personal
after the modified TRO was issued on April 28, 2021, LAPD issued nine
directives and policy updates regarding the use of 37mm and 40mm LLMs
between September 2021 and May 2025). Defendants do not argue that the
exceptions to the Preliminary Injunction Order apply here (e.g., if a protestor is
violently resisting arrest, poses an immediate threat of violence or physical harm,
11832215
Reposted by @westonrowland.bsky.social
camacho @bencamach0.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
BREAKING: LAPD is banned from using 40mm launchers for crowd control. Filing here: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
0388
Reposted by @westonrowland.bsky.social
Sean Beckner-Carmitchel @acatwithnews.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Just now: A request for a ban on LAPD using 40mm “less lethal” kinetic impact rounds for crowd control as a result of a ruling by US District Judge Consuelo B Marshall. This came as a result of a contempt filing (also granted) regarding a case brought forth by Black Lives Matter LA in 2020.
17114
Reposted by @westonrowland.bsky.social
Adam Rose @adamrose.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
To illustrate, 40mm are on left, tend to look like blue foam. 37mm on right, like smaller black donuts intended to be skip-fired off ground. Both can main, but again 40mm seems worse. More details on these and other police munitions in this visual field guide I made: docs.google.com/presentation...
23815
Reposted by @westonrowland.bsky.social
Adam Rose @adamrose.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
BREAKING: Federal judge bans LAPD from using 40mm foam rounds for crowd control. Doesn't seem to cover other "less lethal" munitions (ex: 37mm, tear gas), but I suspect 40mm have done most harm. This is in BLM protest case. Different judge than LA Press Club case. drive.google.com/file/d/1YDD4...
Ban on use of 40mm KIPS
Plaintiffs request the Court ban LAPD’s use of 40mm KIPS as a crowd
control tool, arguing that the Ninth Circuit has held that such munitions “are not
intended to disperse an individual; they are intended to ‘incapacitate’ a target.”
(Mot. at 15) (citing Nelson v. City of Davis, 685 F.3d 867, 873-74 (9th Cir. 2012);
Deorle v. Rutherford, 272 F.3d 1272, 1285 (9th Cir. 2001). The Court’s May 10,
2021 Preliminary Injunction provides restrictions on LAPD’s use of 40mm
munitions, including: a restriction on using the 40mm launchers in publicdemonstrations except by officers who successfully completed Department
training and meet all annual qualification requirements on the weapon; an officer
may use 40mm less-lethal munitions only when the officer reasonably believes
that a suspect is violently resisting arrest or poses an immediate threat of violence
or physical harm; use of 40mm less-lethal munitions should be preceded by a
warning, if feasible, consistent with the Use of Force Warning set forth in LAPD
Use of Force – Tactics Directive No. 17; they should only be fired at a distance of
five feet or greater from another person; and must not be used to target the head,
neck, face, eyes, kidneys, chest, groin or spine of a person. (See Preliminary
Injunction Order.) Here, Plaintiffs provide evidence that Defendants used 40mm
munitions on protestors who did not pose an immediate threat of violence of
physical harm, did not provide warnings before using the munitions, and hit
protestors in restricted areas of the body. (See Exs. 152-153, 169-173, 176;
Luksus Decl. ¶¶ 8-10; Ashby Decl. ¶¶ 1,3,6; Fernandez Decl. ¶¶ 2-6.) Defendants
violated the Court’s Preliminary Injunction Order regarding certain restricted uses
of the 40mm and therefore, a ban on 40mm launchers and less-lethal munitions is
appropriate.
The Court GRANTS Plaintiffs’ request for a ban on the use of 40mm KIPs
as a crowd control tool.
212435
westonrowland.bsky.social @westonrowland.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
020
Reposted by @westonrowland.bsky.social
Adam Rose @adamrose.bsky.social · 09/08/2025
To illustrate the state of life in America right now: Several journalists who were bleeding and needed stitches because of assaults by LAPD drove around to urgent care facilities only to find them closed, then wavered on going to emergency rooms because of high costs of treatment there.
5585198