The LA Ten Four

_{Horse Mounted LAPD Units charge into a crowd in downtown Los Angeles on October 18, 2025 (Sean Beckner-Carmitchel)}

By Sean Beckner-Carmitchel

Sean Beckner-Carmitchel is the publisher of The Los Angeles Ten Four. His venmo can be found here

On Jan 15, 2025 United States District Judge Consuelo B Marshall found that LAPD’s recent use of kinetic impact projectiles put them in contempt of court and will further restrict how LAPD can utilize “less lethal” munitions at protests. Judge Marshall also ruled that LAPD’s use of 40mm KIPs by LAPD for crowd control would be banned, further limiting previous court rulings.

The initial case, a class action lawsuit, arose out of protests and demonstrations in the City of Los Angeles 2020 responding to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. On May 10, 2021, the Court granted a Preliminary Injunction. That 2021 ruling restricted LAPD’s use of KIPs the department had been using at protests in 2020 and years before.

The 2021 injunction forced officers deploying the weapons to follow annual qualification requirements on the weapons. It also limits the use of 40mm launchers to “only when the officer reasonably believes that a suspect is violently resisting arrest or poses an immediate threat of violence or physical harm.” Some of the “less lethal” munitions LAPD uses were limited to being used after a dispersal order. 40mm launchers, according to the 2021 filing, must not be used to target the head, neck, face, eyes, kidneys, chest, groin or spine of a person. 

The Jan 2025 ruling by Judge Marshall says LAPD had violated the 2021 preliminary injunction. Protestors who did not pose an immediate threat of violence or physical harm had been shot by “less lethal” munitions.” LAPD did not provide warnings before using the munitions in multiple cases. Officers shot protestors in restricted areas of the body with “less lethal” munitions.

The lawsuit is part of a broader trend of civil rights litigation accusing the city and LAPD of using excessive force against demonstrators during large protests. Plaintiffs allege that officers indiscriminately fired less-lethal weapons into crowds, causing serious injuries to protesters, journalists, and legal observers. Eventually, LAPD and city officials often claim that the department updated policies, crowd management and “less lethal” weapon strategies. Months or years down the road similar allegations emerge.

City officials have previously said the LAPD has updated its policies, training, and oversight related to crowd management and less-lethal weapons. The contempt ruling, however, suggests the court remains unconvinced that those measures have ensured compliance with its orders.

In September 2025, U.S. District Judge Hernán D. Vera granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit brought upon by the Los Angeles Press Club. That injunction bars LAPD from arresting, detaining, or citing journalists for failing to disperse after an order and prohibits using force against them when they are not posing an imminent threat.

The Press Club’s complaint documents dozens of instances in which journalists were injured or obstructed. Cases include journalists often wearing clearly marked “PRESS” identifiers being struck by projectiles or pushed by officers.

The full court order can be found below:

Click to access 277.-order-re-plaintiffs-motion-for-contempt.pdf