Jul 29, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Judge restricts police use of force against protesters in Oakland

Rashaan Ayesh

People march along Adeline St. during a Juneteenth protest as a woman holds sign that says "Stop killing black people" — Photo: Yalonda M. James/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

A judge issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday restricting police from using stinger grenades, rubber bullets and pepper balls against protesters in Oakland, California, Bloomberg reports.

Why it matters: U.S. Magistrate Joseph Spero's injunction follows a request from the Anti-Police Terror Project, a nonprofit watchdog group, which accused local police of using excessive force against Black Lives Matters protesters.

Yes, but: The order does not apply to federal officers, like the ones the Trump administration deployed to Portland, Oregon.

What they're saying: Spero explained that Oakland officers can use tear gas or flash grenades when there is "an imminent threat of physical harm to a person or significant destruction of property."

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Judge restricts police use of force against protesters in Oakland

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