In the Name of Safety, a Detroit Judge Bans Cops From Using Weapons That Are More Safe

AP featured image — Police in riot gear advance on protesters as they attempt to clear the streets during a third night of unrest Sunday, May 31, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Gov. Ralph Northam issued a curfew for this evening. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

In politics and government, you routinely see people saying and doing things that make no sense, often with the declared reason at odds with the action.

This would be one of those.

In Detroit this past week, a judge banned the police department from using non-lethal implements to fight rioters for at least the next couple weeks.

That would be, so far as I understand, to protect people.

As noted by The Daily Wire, activists “are looking to make the ban permanent.”

Just days ago, a group called Detroit Will Breathe sued the city for excessive force. According to the litigation, cops went to extremes controlling May and June protests in the aftermath of George Floyd.

As per the Detroit Free Press, the plaintiffs assert, “Police used those objects to fracture bones, inflict baseball-sized lumps and concussions, collapse lungs and cause other injuries that left Black Lives Matter protestors hospitalized and disoriented during marches in Detroit that started on May 29.”

To hear their attorney tell it, it seems those in the streets are just being constitutionalists:

“The demonstrators are out in the streets exercising their First Amendment rights and have been met with brutal violence. We are at a point where the city needs to decide what its image is, what its soul is; whether Detroit is a place that encourages free and open thought and dialogue or whether open dialogue is met with brutal violence.”

Nationally, it’d be nice to see that First Amendment stuff. Lately, what I’ve watched online looks like all hell breaking loose during some sort of Zombie Apocalypse.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the “First Amendment”:

Graphic: Another angle of the person being set on fire by a Molotov cocktail thrown by antifa militants in SE Portland. Rioters try to help but don’t do much. Cops are the ones who rush in & put out the flames. Video by @BGOnTheScene. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/9gNFo73Lyc

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) September 6, 2020

*Largely peaceful* rioters interrupt violent diners at local Rochester restaurants claiming "It was self defense, they all had knives, and I couldn't just stand by and let them murder my friends. We had no choice". #FakeNewsMedia #RochesterRiots #AntifaTerrorists https://t.co/Srl0As9GHa pic.twitter.com/k6BEsCHbQJ

— 6% BlueState 94% Vacatur (@ShoreProgress) September 5, 2020

Rioters launching fireworks at police. Rochester New York. pic.twitter.com/5fQuMH1RDf

— Riot Watch (@U_News_) September 5, 2020

Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement protesters geared up in Black Bloc take over NYC Streets carrying a “Death to America” and “Free All Prisoners” banners

Chants of “every city, every town, burn the precinct to the ground” pic.twitter.com/RXX9vHCDLX

— barely informed with elad 🕵🏻‍♂️ (@elaadeliahu) September 4, 2020

Tonight in Portland BLM terrorists and Antifa murdered a Trump supporter in cold blood.

No altercation, no fight. He walked up behind him and assassinated him because of his political views.pic.twitter.com/jNDs0YJcGn

— Mike Coudrey (@MichaelCoudrey) August 30, 2020

Amid the reality of America’s goings-on, the judge sided — or, it would appear, tried to side — with the protestors.

Hence, an injunction against the DPD barring the use of non-lethal weapons including “batons, shields, gas, rubber bullets, chokeholds, or sound cannons.”

Interesting move.

Let’s play Elimination: Police have two kinds of weaponry — lethal and non.

They’ve got batons, shields, gas, rubber bullets, and sound cannons…and guns.

Now take away batons, shields, gas, rubber bullets, and sound cannons.

What’s left? That’d be the choice of someone who thinks they’re making everyone safer.

As the increasingly relevant question goes, what could go wrong?

Nevertheless, Detroit Will Breathe attorney Jack Schulz counts it a win:

“For a short period, we know that the police will not be able to use the brutal tactics they have in the past against peaceful protestors without violating a court order.”

Correction: Now they just can’t use anything but deadly brutal tactics.

Detroit’s Police Chief James Craig told the Free Press that Saturday, officers “used force to prevent protestors from setting up a ‘Seattle zone of lawlessness’ during demonstrations that turned violent Saturday.”

And they’re not backing down: