“We start out by looking to see what information is out there,” Goodwin said over the phone. Gretta Goodwin, a director of the GAO and lead author of the report released late last year, said her office was unable to answer the senators’ question on whether federal agencies have assessed the safety and effectiveness of tear gas and other chemical munitions, or their impacts on underlying health conditions. Wyden isn’t satisfied with the GAO report and will keep pressing for answers, spokesman Hank Stern said. On Sunday, police in Akron, Ohio, used tear gas against people protesting the shooting of Jayland Walker, a Black man who was killed by police on June 27 in a hail of gunfire. Law enforcement officials say tear gas, if used properly, is an effective tool for crowd control. They used more than a dozen different types of crowd-control devices, including 40 mm canisters loaded with tear gas or an oily extract of pepper plants, 40mm “direct impact rounds” loaded with tear gas or pepper compounds, smoke grenades and foggers that emit chemical irritants, the document showed. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, from the Department of Homeland Security. Portland police used tear gas and pepper balls against protesters, and the Trump administration sent militarized federal agents to the city, starting in July 2020.Īt least 1,315 federal officers were deployed to Oregon, according to a redacted document obtained by U.S Sen. Portland, Oregon’s largest city, was an epicenter of the protests, with months of nightly, often violent demonstrations and vandalism following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. “Congress and the American people deserve to know the details to better understand the significant issues and damage done by inappropriate use of less-lethal force." Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, one of the report requesters, said through spokeswoman Molly Prescott. “This report is completely inadequate,” U.S. The GAO report noted there were incidents in which less-lethal force may have been used by federal agents in violation of policy, but provided no details. senators from Oregon - where the Trump administration deployed militarized federal agents - believe the report leaves too many questions unanswered and are calling for regulation of the tear gas industry. senators asked the congressional watchdog to find out whether federal agencies have assessed how safe they are.īut the report by the Government Accountability Office skipped that question, dedicating only three paragraphs to the effects of "chemical irritants" and flash-bangs. Bystanders, including children and pregnant women, were also exposed.Īs police responded to mass protests across the nation two years ago with tear gas and other chemical munitions, more than a dozen U.S.
(AP) - In 2020, Black Lives Matter protesters were doused with tear gas, making them gasp for breath, their eyes feeling as if they were on fire.
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