DALLAS, TX- According to reports, five people have filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer and retail seller of less-lethal weapons that the Dallas Police Department (DPD) allegedly used during 2020 protests in downtown Dallas, arguing that the weapons are more dangerous than advertised.
Lawsuit Filed Against Manufacturer, Seller of ‘Less Lethal’ Weapons Used by Dallas Police in 2020 Protests https://t.co/uUaX5TimEo
— usa share news (@usasharenews) June 8, 2022
The plaintiffs, listed as Vincent Doyle, David McKee, Randi Rogers, Brandon Saenz, and Tasia Williams, are seeking more than $1 million in their lawsuit against Combined Systems and Penn Arms. The suit was filed on May 31st in Dallas County.
According to the Dallas Morning News, Combined Systems is the manufacturer of 40 mm launchers, which are weapons that shoot rubber or sponge bullets. Penn Arms is a division of the company that sells the launchers.
The lawsuit alleges that Combined Systems new the launchers sold to Dallas police posed an “unreasonable and egregious risk of physical injury.” The suit also blames Combined Systems and Penn Arms for marketing and promoting them as “less than lethal.”
Daryl Washington, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in a statement:
“The 40 mm launcher has been marketed to police departments as less-lethal. We believe that is is anything but less-lethal.”
Lawsuit Filed Against Maker, Seller of ‘Less Lethal’ Weapons Used by Dallas Police in 2020 Protests https://t.co/fZeTKbfJQf
— NBC DFW (@NBCDFW) June 8, 2022
Reportedly, Doyle, McKee, Rogers, Saenz, and Williams were “seriously injured” from May 30 to June 1, 2020, during protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
According to the lawsuit, Doyle’s cheekbone was shattered, Saenz lost his left eye, and McKee suffered injuries to his groin area. Rogers suffered a head injury and Williams suffered a leg wound.
Not all, but several of the same plaintiffs have also sued the city of Dallas, former police Chief U. Renee Hall, and the DPD for the injuries they sustained during the protest.
Additionally, Dallas Police Senior Cpl. Ryan Mabry, former Dallas Police Senior Cpl. Melvin Williams, and Garland Police Officer Joe Privitt are facing aggravated assault charges in connection with McKee’s injuries.
Mabry faces charges of aggravated assault, deadly conduct, and official oppression in a case involving Saenz. Williams is charged with misdemeanor assault and official oppression in the shooting of Doyle.
The lawsuit says that the use of rubber and sponge bullets against demonstrators across the country has resulted in injuries similar to those of the Dallas plaintiffs. Court documents allegedly reference a photographer in Minneapolis who was blinded in her left eye when she was struck by a rubber bullet.
Two Dallas police officers, one current and one former, as well as a Garland police officer accused of assaulting demonstrators during Serial Criminal George Floyd protests in downtown Dallas in the summer of 2020, were indicted by a Dallas County grand jury Friday. https://t.co/vgLn1fFj4Q
— M. Jennings (@RealFriscoKid) May 6, 2022
Four of the plaintiffs were downtown Dallas on May 30, 2020 when they were injured. The lawsuit says that Doyle, who was allegedly taking photos, was shot in the face with a rubber bullet by a police officer using a launcher.
The suit states that the injury left him with 40 percent of his vision in his left eye and smashed his cheekbone. Saenz was allegedly walking from a dog park when he was shot in the eye with a sponge or rubber bullet.
He lost his left eye, suffered at least two badly chipped teeth, and had to have 27 staples in his head. Rogers was observing the protests when a police officer fired at her using a launcher. The suit says it is unclear if the bullet was fired at her, but she suffered a wound to head because of it.
The lawsuit says that McKee was with a friend to document the protests and was helping protesters who had been sprayed with tear gas and while backing up from officers, he was shot at least twice by two officers using launchers. The suit says he needed surgery on his left testicle.
Washington said that his clients are still recovering physically and emotionally from the injuries they suffered nearly two years ago. He added:
“I don’t know if you can ever recover from having an eye surgically removed or having staples in your head. Those are things that you can’t recover from.”
According to the Dallas Morning News, Combined Systems did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Man shot and killed while tossing a firebomb at police. His brother claims the Molotov cocktail was just a protest.
May 22nd, 2022
RALEIGH, NC – Reuel Rodriguez-Nunez was fatally shot, and now his brother is blaming the police for their use of deadly force.
Jensel Rodriguez-Nunez said that his brother was engaged in the act of protest when he tossed a Molotov cocktail at a police officer on May 7th.
The family of Reuel Rodriguez-Nunez speaks out, hours after Raleigh PD releases its preliminary report on the police shooting that left Nunez dead in a police parking lot in SE Raleigh. RPD alleges Nunez hurled Molotov cocktails at cruisers and officers. #abc11 pic.twitter.com/CdQBtSFV7h
— 𝙹𝚘𝚎𝚕 𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚗 (@JoelBrownABC11) May 14, 2022
On May 7th Rodriguez-Nunez drove into a Raleigh Police Department (RPD) parking lot at approximately 1 p.m. He allegedly began throwing fecal matter and urine at the station’s main entryway.
Reuel Rodriguez-Nunez was setting cars on fire prior to removing a gas can and a container from his vehicle. He placed several white cups on the ground poured the liquid into them and sat down.
At about 1:18 p.m. Lieutenant M.F. Schabel was on the scene. He soon contacted dispatch and requested Raleigh Fire Department assist with the police vehicle set on fire.
The suspect allegedly tossed liquid at police officer Schabel’s vehicle, followed by a Molotov cocktail. Schabel was in the car during this and quickly reversed the car.
Nunez said about his brother: “My brother was special. He was funny. He was loving. He was caring. He loved people.”
This is 37 yr old Reuel Rodriguez Nunez, he was shot and killed by Raleigh police Saturday after they say he threw fire bombs at them. Hear from his family tonight on @WRAL pic.twitter.com/nvcgoabcbq
— WRAL Chelsea Donovan (@ChelseaDReports) May 12, 2022
An early report by Raleigh Police Department reveals a different person than what Nunez described.
According to police and the early report, they say that Nunez showed up in a minivan and started to throw Molotov cocktails. He allegedly burned police cruisers and ignored police requests to stop what he was doing.
Police say a commanding officer approached Nunez, and he then allegedly tossed one of the firebombs near the officer, just missing him.
Police radio information hears an officer saying:
“He is trying to throw Molotov cocktails at us.”
Officers then began to open fire, releasing approximately 30 rounds.
There was an approximate 6-minute time-lapse between Schabel’s initial arrival from the police discharging their weapons.
Officers tried life-saving procedures until the arrival of EMS. Nunez died of his injuries at the hospital.
His brother commented:
“To me, he was just shot like an animal. He was not a psychopath.”
While his brother says he did not struggle with any mental illness, he did have confrontations with the law. Recently he spent time in county jail, and his brother thinks this is where his anger began to grow.
“Personally, I believe that my brother was protesting.
Maybe protesting things that he saw in (jail).
It was a way of protesting.
I think this was taken personal.
Like, ‘Let’s just get this guy over with, shoot him! Shoot him!
It was just one person.”
#BREAKING Raleigh PD’s five-day investigative report on the officer involved shooting on Rock Quarry Rd has been released. The man investigators say lit cars at the station on fire & threw Molotov cocktails at officers has been identified as Reuel Rodriguez-Nunez @WNCN
— Hayley Fixler (@HayleyFixlerTV) May 13, 2022
Raleigh Police released a five-day report which tells the disturbing details about what happened during the incident.
Raleigh police noted that the early report had some errors regarding the chronological order of events and submitted a new timeline.
According to the updates, Nunez came into the parking lot at 1:02 pm in his minivan. The report reveals that two police vehicles and one private vehicle were in the lot. Additional cars were not present in the lot. Also included in the updated report, Reuel Rodriguez-Nunez is heard saying to officers:
“Today… is my day… to… move on.”
For the first time, Jasiel Rodriguez-Nunez is speaking publicly about the side of his older brother Reuel that’s not part of the five-day report released Friday by Raleigh Police Department. https://t.co/WmhJWad4Vk
— ABC11 EyewitnessNews (@ABC11_WTVD) May 14, 2022
The updated report explains that Senior Officer B.A. Beausoleil, Master Officer P.W. Coates, and Officer M.M. Oreskey were present during the incident.
Beausoleil recurrently told Nunez, “do not do it,” “don’t do any more,” “don’t do it,” and “don’t do it, bro.”
Nunez ignored the officer and hurled flaming liquid at Schabel’s vehicle.
The Raleigh Police Department issued a new timeline Friday night in the fatal shooting of Reuel Rodriguez Núñez outside the Rock Quarry Road police station on May 7. https://t.co/AonZdDmNay
— Durham Herald-Sun (@TheHerald_Sun) May 14, 2022
RPD detectives later discovered that Nunez’s van and description matched those of a suspect who attempted to set fire to gas pumps at a convenience store the night before the incident.
Police protocol places officers involved in a fatal shooting on administrative duty.
This is the second instance of Raleigh police shooting and killing someone in 2022.
In January, Daniel Turcios was shot and killed by police.
At first, the Raleigh Police Department said Turcios was thought to be intoxicated. Autopsy results argued that point and found Turcios had caffeine and nicotine in his system during the time of death.
The five-day report said five officers responded to the crash incident.
Several 9-1-1 calls had come in reporting the crash.
Officers who arrived at the scene said Turcios, his wife, and their two sons were in the overturned car.
Police said, witnesses allegedly told them Turcios had a knife. When officers noticed the knife they took out their weapons and yelled to Turcios to drop the knife.
He refused to drop the knife. He proceeded to walk away. A stun gun was used to stop Turcios.
A struggle began and two shots were fired. Turcios was knocked to the ground. Three more shots were fired. The report said almost five seconds had passed between the first two shots and the last three.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is investigating the shooting. Findings will be sent to the Wake County District Attorney. Raleigh Police Department and the RPD Office of Professional Standards are conducting investigations as well.
Welcome to 2021: Dozens of cars burned, police attacked as ‘enrichers’ set off molotov cocktails to ring in New Year
FRANCE – Despite the government enacting curfews, outlawing fireworks, and deploying police and soldiers, France witnessed chaos and vandalism in what has become a recurrent phenomenon on New Year’s Eve.
Multiple cars were set ablaze and violence against emergency services spread across the country.
New Years in Mulhouse, France…
“Enrichers” attack law enforcement and firefighters, burn cars and set off molotov cocktails…
Meanwhile, french citizens remain prisoners in their homes… pic.twitter.com/rQs9w8Vh4D
— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) January 1, 2021
The unwanted tradition has evolved as a way to protest in France, with most of the vandals being poor. They justify their actions as “defiance” for lack of economic opportunity in the country.
Time Magazine explained the reason for the annual uprising:
“While annual figures may fluctuate, they’ve generally swelled since the late 1970s, when French suburban youths first started burning cars as a way to get the attention of society, the media, and politicians.
“Later the practice became an ambush tactic to draw law and fire authorities to the scene — where they’d then be attacked by gangs. Now the act works as a manner of daily protest against alienation, discrimination, and the indifference of more affluent French society.”
Lyon, centre-ville, hier, lors de la #SaintSylvestre #bonneannee2021 #Lyon pic.twitter.com/8QUc2H5be8
— MEHDI AIFA (@Mehdi_Aifa_AJR) January 1, 2021
Forty-one vehicles were set on fire, and police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters were targeted by fireworks in Angers. The fires began in the city around 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and continued until about 2:45 a.m.
Multiple fireworks were set off despite a prohibition on sales of fireworks in the region. The fireworks targeted emergency services on several occasions.
Forty-nine police officers from Angers were supported by a mobile gendarmerie squad of 57 soldiers. Two men, including a 16-year-old, were arrested.
Suréaliste #angers pic.twitter.com/slDh5ECX8Y
— Joselito (@Josepaindecake) January 1, 2021
In Bordeaux, about thirty cars were burned, including a police vehicle. Several barrels and pieces of furniture were lit on fire in the streets, and barricades were set up. The post office was set on fire, but firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control.
Police reported that they were targeted with mortar fireworks, however, there were no injuries or arrests in the city.
Lyon was not spared from the violence. Despite 400 police officers mobilized early New Year’s Eve throughout the metropolis of Lyon, multiple cars were burned. Authorities, while not releasing exact numbers, stated that the violence was lessened from previous years because of pandemic restrictions in place.
Des images de la nuit de la Saint-Sylvestre agitée à #Nantes, malgré le couvre-feu. Policiers et pompiers ont essuyé des tirs de mortiers. Des véhicules et poubelles ont été incendiés dans plusieurs quartiers pic.twitter.com/BBnZJFLkse
— Ouest-France 44 (@OuestFrance44) January 1, 2021
In Alpes-Martitimes, about 25 vehicles were burned, and firefighters doused almost 70 garbage fires. In the city of Nice alone, there were 45 trash fires and 17 car fires extinguished by firefighters.
Police and emergency services were also targeted by mortar fireworks in Nice and the surrounding area. One officer suffered an eye injury in Canes in what the police union described as “willful violence.”
Paris, traditionally a hotspot for violence on New Year’s Eve, reported a decrease in violence from previous years. According to newspaper Le Parisien, there were only six cars burned in the suburbs of Yvelines.
Strasbourg, unlike other regions, reported that the number of cars torched this year was greater than in previous years. Several arrests were made and minor injuries were reported.
#Strasbourg #France
Demonstrations turned violent as rioters set fire to approximately 30 vehicles in Strasbourg, France. pic.twitter.com/cZ66fdP4bw— Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) January 1, 2021
The hard-hit area saw the only fatality of the night. In the village of Boofzheim, a 25-year-old man was decapitated by mortar fireworks. The victim had joined friends celebrating the New Year, and they went outside to launch fireworks at the edge of a field.
The man and a friend went to check on a mortar that failed to fire. As they approached, the mortar detonated. The man was killed, and the friend suffered facial injuries.
A local resident, Olivier Baumann, reported:
“They were very polite, very nice young people. They wished us a happy new year, it was very happy, and two minutes later it was hell, there were screams. The detonation was loud enough”.
Intervention des pompiers à #nantes la nuit du #31Decembre : voitures brûlées et feux de poubelles pic.twitter.com/sTU5uNIvZz
— Ouest-France 44 (@OuestFrance44) January 1, 2021
The sale and purchase of fireworks had been banned in the area throughout the month of December.
Mayor Eric Klethi said:
“There have been border controls, but unfortunately internet sales are very difficult to control.
“It’s one accident too many, probably a malfunction, a delay in ignition. The two young people wanted to control the device and the rocket left at that time.
“Let’s stop playing sorcerer’s apprentice. I appeal to the youth, that this type of accident does not happen again. It’s ugly on January 1st, we have other wishes to make than to manage a family and human disaster.”
Got him! North Carolina man charged with attempted murder of an officer, faces $5 million bond
GASTONIA, NC – A North Carolina man is in custody after allegedly committing several robberies before getting into a shootout with police. Thankfully no one was injured during the shooting.
The suspect in the case, Charles Thomas Cole, has found himself in jail after Gastonia Police allege that he went on a violent crime spree that ended in a shootout with police.
Cole was charged with seven counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, three counts of attempted first-degree murder on police officers, first-degree kidnapping, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and theft of a firearm.
Cole’s alleged crime spree started when police responded to an armed robbery outside of an office building on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Way on December 17th.
In that case, Gastonia Police report that two people were standing outside of an attorney’s office when Cole allegedly approached them armed with a gun.
Cole allegedly demanded money and property from both but only received property from the male. Cole then allegedly fled the area on foot without firing any shots and was not located on that date.
Then on December 29th, Gastonia Police responded to a Waffle House on West Franklin Boulevard for a reported armed robbery. In that case, police allege Cole entered the restaurant and began threatening employees with the gun, demanding money.
Once he received the cash from the restaurant employees, he then threatened an elderly female customer, also demanding cash from her. After he received money from her police allege that Cole took off on foot fleeing from the store.
Cole then allegedly went to a nearby parking lot in which a dark colored Dodge Ram truck had been parked. Cole then allegedly fled the parking lot until officers who were responding to the robbery observed the Ram on North King Street and West Rankin Avenue.
As officers stopped the vehicle, Gastonia Police allege that Cole opened fire on the officers. The officers returned fire which caused Cole to reenter the Ram and flee the area.
Thankfully, no one was injured during the shooting and Cole was able to evade officers attempts to apprehend him that night.
Police continued their search for Cole and the truck he was allegedly last seen driving which was located on December 30th in front of a residence on North Pryor Street.
Detectives with Gastonia Police authored a search warrant for the residence which was executed on the same date.
When detectives entered the home, they located Cole and allegedly items that had been taken from some of the robberies.
Thankfully, Cole was taken into custody without incident for the robberies and attempted murder of the police officers he allegedly shot at on December 29th.
The judge in the case assigned a $5 million bond in the case.
Gastonia Police Chief Travis Brittain released a statement on the investigation:
“We are thankful for the peaceful arrest of Mr. Cole. The incidents leading up to his arrest show the dangers that our officers face. We appreciate the support of the public and dedication of our staff.”
Gastonia Police Department has not released any information pertaining to Cole’s criminal history nor explained why the judge set the bond at that amount.
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