A federal judge has banned the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) from using certain non-lethal projectile launchers for crowd control. The ruling, issued by Judge Consuelo B. Marshall, found that the LAPD violated a previous court injunction by deploying 40mm and 37mm launchers against protesters who did not pose an immediate threat of physical harm. The judge also determined that officers failed to provide required warnings before using the weapons and struck individuals in prohibited areas of the body.
This decision stems from protests in Los Angeles during the summer of 2025, which occurred after U.S. Department of Homeland Security immigration enforcement raids. While the LAPD argued that these weapons are essential for managing unpredictable situations and preventing more dangerous confrontations, the court cited multiple incidents from 2025 where the weapons were allegedly misused against protesters and members of the press. These incidents included striking individuals who were filming police, were crouched down, or were attempting to leave, as well as targeting a nurse tending to injured demonstrators.
The injunction at the heart of this contempt ruling was originally issued in May 2021 following widespread Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. It placed strict limits on the LAPD's use of "less-lethal" weapons, prohibiting targeting sensitive body areas, requiring warnings when feasible, and restricting deployment to situations with immediate threats of violence. Judge Marshall rejected the city's arguments that the violations were minor or unintentional, holding the city in civil contempt and ordering an immediate halt to the use of these weapons for crowd control. The ruling also allows plaintiffs to seek attorneys' fees. This contempt finding follows an earlier, separate ban on using these weapons against journalists and nonviolent protesters, which the city has appealed.