Improper Targeting and Deployment
Less-lethal weapons such as rubber bullets, beanbag rounds, and pepper balls are designed to incapacitate without causing permanent harm. However, their safety depends entirely on how and where they are used. These weapons are intended to be aimed at large muscle groups (like thighs or buttocks), never at the head, neck, chest, or spine. Firing from a rooftop increases velocity and impact, dramatically raising the risk of serious injury or death.
The United Nations Human Rights Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement states that law enforcement must use these weapons only when strictly necessary and proportionate to the threat faced. Targeting a stationary, praying individual from an elevated position violates these principles and constitutes a breach of international human rights law.
Escalation Instead of De-escalation
Less-lethal weapons are meant to reduce the need for deadly force. When used against peaceful individuals especially someone in prayer they escalate violence instead. This misuse sends a chilling message: silence and faith are threats. That’s not law enforcement it’s ideological suppression.
According to the Congressional Research Service, over 1,000 deaths occurred following police use of less-lethal force between 2012 and 2021. These weapons are “less-lethal” in name, but depending on deployment, they can be lethal in practice.
Sources:
UN Human Rights Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons
Congressional Research Service Report on Less-Lethal Weapons
