Long Lead Presents

THE PEOPLEVS.RUBBER
BULLETS

BY
Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

Blue Tape Projects
caret down
PART I
Scott Olsen — "I Didn't Realize How Bad It Was."

PART I - Scott Olsen“I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW BAD IT WAS.”

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Shot in the head by police firing bean-bag rounds at demonstrators, this veteran awoke from a coma, returned to protesting, and became a symbol to the Occupy movement. Ten years later, he represents a life shattered by the misuse of less-lethal munitions.

READ PART I
PART II
Andre Miller — What Is a Rubber Bullet?

PART II - Andre MillerWhat is a rubber bullet?

Andre Miller, who was shot in the head with a tear-gas canister in July 2020, is photographed at his home in Portland, Ore., in June 2022.

Less-lethal munitions come in all shapes and sizes and can leave behind devastating wounds. Victims of KIPs often don’t know what hit them, unless — like this Black Lives Matter protester — there’s shrapnel left behind.

READ PART II
PART III
Richard Moore — The Original Rubber Bullet

PART III - Richard MooreThe original rubber bullet

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This 10-year-old from Derry, Northern Ireland was shot in the face with a rubber bullet while running home from school, an attack that blinded him for life. In the decades since, the U.K. has turned away from less-lethal munitions while U.S. law enforcement has increasingly embraced them. Why?

READ PART III
PART IV
Victoria Snelgrove — When Things Go Wrong

PART IV - Victoria SnelgroveWhen Things Go Wrong

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Everyone knew if the Red Sox ever beat the Yankees, Boston would burst. But what actually happened when they finally won exceeded people's worst fears. How a euphoric riot, a lack of police training, and an untested less-lethal weapon left a woman dead and city leaders seeking answers.

READ PART IV
PART V
Linda Tirado — The Injustice of Suing the Police

PART V - Linda TiradoThe Injustice of Suing the Police

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Shot with a less-lethal round while photographing police officers during 2020’s protests in Minneapolis, this journalist was blinded for life. Then came the long, isolating pursuit of justice and accountability that made her pain even worse.

READ PART V
PART VI
Austin's 8th St. Victims — Less Lethal, Still Deadly

PART VI - AUSTIN'S 8TH ST. VICTIMSLess Lethal, Still Deadly

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After two days of protests, hundreds of bean-bag rounds fired, and dozens of grievously injured victims, a showdown is looming in Texas between law enforcement and the law.

READ PART VI
TIMELINE
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
 
WARNING

This website contains graphic images of violence that some people may find disturbing.