“This is a lot worse”: The wicked truth about the police’s favorite anti-protest tool

[unhappycamper]

http://www.salon.com/2014/08/31/this_is_a_lot_worse_the_wicked_truth_about_the_polices_favorite_anti_protest_tool/



The flash-bangs fired by St. Louis County police trying to disperse crowds have raised questions about safety

“This is a lot worse”: The wicked truth about the police’s favorite anti-protest tool
Abbie Nehring, ProPublica
Sunday, Aug 31, 2014 12:00 PM EST

Peter Callahan was caught between two police lines in the West Florissant section of Ferguson, Mo., on Sunday night, when something fiery hot singed his leg. A nearby protester’s shirt briefly caught fire.

Callahan, a Washington D.C.-based journalist, deduced that he had been hit by a flash-bang device. “I was also at Occupy Wall Street,” he said. “This is a lot worse.”

Among the debris protesters and journalists have picked up in the days since Michael Brown was killed are canisters of the 7290 flash-bang made by Combined Tactical Systems, a “less lethal” diversionary device that has made its way into law enforcement agencies’ toolkits to carry out search warrants, and less frequently, to disperse crowds.

Flash-bang devices are one of many military-style weapons being used in Ferguson, along with tear gas and beanbag munitions. While marketed as non-lethal, there have been instances in which flash-bangs have caused serious injury and sometimes death when used by police, prompting debate over their proper use.

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Inexcusable abuse of the English language -- there is no "proper use" against civilians. nt

[PeoViejo]

2. The Military terminology would be: Offensive Grenade

They are used by assault troops to stun the enemy and disorient them. They have no fragmentation, except for the fuse mechanism, which allows them to be used in close quarters with little risk of injury to friendly troops.