Pepper spray is now an option for cops trying to control violent protesters in Berkeley, California. The City Council reversed a two-decade old ban on the weapons Tuesday at the urging of the police department. The vote was 6 to 3.
The police department’s request followed a series of demonstrations in which “large coordinated groups of masked extremists” attacked other protesters and police officers, according to a 26-page department memo. We could see more of that today, as Berkeley braces for a highly publicized event featuring conservative author and speaker Ben Shapiro.
Under the new policy, police are still prohibited from using pepper spray for crowd control. It can only be employed on specific people who are committing acts of violence.
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