Overview
- U.S. District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall found Los Angeles in civil contempt and ordered an immediate halt to the LAPD’s use of 40mm and 37mm launchers for crowd control.
- The LAPD issued a department-wide memo instructing officers that the 40mm launcher shall not be used in any crowd-control situation, effective immediately.
- The court cited evidence that officers fired without required warnings, targeted people who did not pose an immediate threat, and struck prohibited areas, with several incidents causing serious injuries.
- The contempt finding stems from alleged violations during large 2025 demonstrations over immigration enforcement, following a 2021 injunction that limited use of these weapons.
- Plaintiffs were allowed to seek attorneys’ fees, no external monitor was appointed, and a separate order restricting force against journalists and nonviolent protesters remains under appeal.