LA City Appeals Court Limits on LAPD Crowd Control Weapons

The city of Los Angeles has filed an appeal against a federal court order limiting the Los Angeles Police Department's use of crowd control weapons against journalists and nonviolent protesters. The appeal, filed on Tuesday, challenges U.S. District Judge Hernán D. Vera's temporary injunction that restricted LAPD's deployment of less-lethal munitions. The case will now proceed to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, with a hearing tentatively scheduled for mid-November.

The original injunction was issued following allegations that LAPD officers employed excessive force during protests against the Trump administration's immigration policies. According to the Los Angeles Press Club's lawsuit, law enforcement allegedly violated their own guidelines and state law by targeting journalists with projectile launchers, tear gas, and stun grenades. The legal action included video evidence and testimonials suggesting officers had fired projectiles at sensitive areas such as the head.

Los Angeles city attorneys and the Department of Homeland Security have argued that the judge's restrictions are impractical and overly broad. Their position maintains that while police can still utilize less-lethal weapons against unruly demonstrators, the current rules might cause officers to hesitate in chaotic situations. The city further contended that officers cannot always immediately identify journalists during protest situations.

Attorneys representing the journalists have countered that the incidents prompting the injunction were deliberate rather than accidental. Civil rights attorney Carol Sobel, part of the plaintiffs' legal team, characterized the city's position as seeking permission to use indiscriminate force. Separately, the city continues to pursue the reversal of a 2020 injunction that similarly restricted the use of certain less-lethal weapons during that year's protests.

The legal dispute highlights ongoing tensions between law enforcement tactics and civil liberties during public demonstrations. Judge Vera initially ordered the restrictions in July, specifically limiting the use of 40mm projectile launchers and other crowd control weapons at street protests. These projectiles can travel at speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour, according to documentation presented in the case.