The California Highway Patrol released a report justifying the firing of nearly 60 “less lethal” rounds at pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA in May. However, the report lacks evidence to support the claim that officers acted properly. Video footage shows officers aiming at people’s heads and firing into crowds, contradicting state laws and training guidelines. Jeff Wenninger, a former LAPD lieutenant, criticized the report for not providing evidence to support the officers’ actions.
The report claims that officers were met with assaultive resistance, including protesters throwing items like frozen water bottles and other projectiles. CHP Director of Communications Jamie Coffee stated that officers faced a threat from protesters, but there is no evidence of this in the videos. The report also denied firing indiscriminately into crowds. The report detailed that officers fired beanbags and sponge rounds to disperse the protesters.
Law enforcement experts who reviewed the footage found that the use of force was unjustified and a failure in training by the CHP. Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, who authored a bill restricting officers’ use of less lethal munitions, criticized the actions of the police as a violation of the law and the spirit of the law. The report and the actions of the CHP have raised concerns about public trust and transparency in law enforcement.
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Photo credit calmatters.org
