St. Louis Police Used Mace to 'Punish Protesters,' Judge Says, Ruling for ACLU
St. Louis police officers unleashed mace to "punish protesters" following the acquittal of a former city cop on murder charges, a federal judge has found.
In a decision released this morning, U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry sided with activists and the ACLU of Missouri, granting a request to set new restrictions on the way police officers respond to demonstrations.
Perry cited numerous incidents, including the mass arrests downtown on September 17, in finding there was enough evidence to support a preliminary injunction.
The federal judge's 48-page memo and order dictates new rules of engagement for officers responding to protests. They include prohibitions against declaring protests unlawful when there aren't threats of violence and using chemical agents against people expressing their constitutional rights.
Read more: https://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2017/11/15/st-louis-police-used-mace-to-punish-protesters-judge-says-ruling-for-aclu
