A look at the ‘less lethal’ weapons authorities used to crack down on Los Angeles protests

CNN

By Dakin Andone, CNN

(CNN) — Late Sunday, as protesters against federal immigration raids clashed with law enforcement, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Division sent out a warning:

“Less Lethal munitions have been authorized,” officials wrote on X, ordering crowds in Downtown Los Angeles to disperse. “Less lethal munitions may cause pain and discomfort.”

Over the weekend, police used a standard variety of tools to disperse crowds and quell protests that had devolved into violence: Protesters lit self-driving cars on fire. Two motorcyclists drove into a skirmish line of officers, injuring two. And LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, condemning the “disgusting” violence, alleged on Sunday evening a Molotov cocktail had been thrown at officers.

Authorities responded with force. So far, CNN has documented the deployment of flash-bangs, tear gas, pepper balls, rubber bullets and bean bag rounds, as well as more traditional gear such as batons.

These weapons – often described as “less lethal,” “less-than-lethal” or “non-lethal” – are those “explicitly designed and primarily employed to incapacitate … while minimizing fatalities, permanent injury to personnel, and undesired damage to property, facilities, materiel, and the environment,” according to a Department of Defense directive.

That does not mean they are harmless: After the 2020 protests in response to the police killing of George Floyd, researchers found many people suffered injuries from less lethal weapons – particularly rubber bullets.

Here’s a look at the equipment authorities have used:

Blunt-force weapons and projectiles

Authorities have used several tools that a 2025 report by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service noted for their ability to incapacitate using blunt force.

Foremost among these is the baton, which the CRS report described as the oldest kinetic, less lethal weapon. Also called a nightstick, the baton is essentially a club with a handle, often used for crowd control. A CNN field crew witnessed officers pushing and striking protesters with batons Sunday afternoon.

Also included are blunt-force projectiles, such as rubber bullets and bean bag rounds – both of which were seen in use this weekend. These weapons are used for long-range crowd control, according to the CRS report, and are meant to cause “temporary blunt-force trauma to the skin.”

Rubber bullets are larger than their lethal counterparts, and some include cores made of metal or wood. Though they are considered “less-than-lethal,” there are cases where they have been found to disable, disfigure and even kill.

Lauren Tomasi, the US correspondent for CNN affiliate Nine News in Australia, was reporting on the scene Sunday when she was struck in the leg by a rubber bullet. The bullet left her sore, but she was otherwise unharmed, Tomasi’s network said.

Bean bag rounds are small, lead pellet-filled pouches, usually fired from a shotgun or a specialized launcher. Each pouch is typically filled with 1.4 oz of lead pellets.

Chemical irritants

Law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles have also turned to chemical irritant devices, which rely on chemical compounds to irritate the sinuses, lungs and skin, causing enough pain to render an individual temporarily unable to function.

Tear gas is one such tool, and is commonly known. Also referred to as a “riot control agent,” tear gas can cause excessive tearing, burning, or blurred vision and a runny nose or a burning sensation inside the nose, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can also cause difficulty swallowing, chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath and a feeling of choking.

Law enforcement agents usually disperse tear gas – which actually comes in a powder form – from grenades or a canister, per the CRS report.

Pepper spray is similar but deployed using a hand-held canister for “close-proximity encounters.” The compressed gas, the CRS report says, propels the chemical irritant at the target, who typically does not need medical attention afterwards.

Pepper balls marry the effects of a chemical irritant with the delivery of a blunt-force projectile: Pepper spray balls, according to the CRS report, rupture on impact, releasing a chemical irritant similar to those used for tear gas.

CNN footage captured law enforcement using pepper balls, spray and tear gas in an attempt to disperse protesters Sunday outside the Metropolitan Detention Center.

Flash-bang devices

In response to protests Friday, CNN saw authorities use what appeared to be flash-bangs, which rely on a bright flash of light to obscure a target’s vision and hearing – though they have not been seen in the days since.

Flash-bangs – thrown either by hand or with a launcher – use an “explosive propellant to emit a bright flash of light … and ear-piercing sound,” the CRS report says. While their principal purpose is to help police make a “tactical entry” – disorienting barricaded suspects, for example – they are sometimes used for crowd control.

CNN’s Harmeet Kaur, AJ Willingham and Sarah-Grace Mankarious contributed to this report.

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