
US Park Police denies using tear gas on peaceful protesters - hhs
https://www.vox.com/2020/6/2/21278559/tear-gas-white-house-protest-park-police
======
eganist
Pretty consistent with what we know of Park Police in and around DC. The
shooting of Bijan Ghaisar, in this case, went unpunished by the feds:

[https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/us-
park-p...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/us-park-police-
officers-will-not-face-charges-in-shooting-of-bijan-
ghaisar/2019/11/14/1497a788-f1ab-11e9-89eb-ec56cd414732_story.html)

Though props to Fairfax for seeking indictments and for releasing the footage
in the face of Park Police silence.

[https://www.washingtonpost.com/crime-
law/2019/12/18/fairfax-...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/crime-
law/2019/12/18/fairfax-prosecutors-seeking-indictments-against-park-police-
officers-fatal-shooting-bijan-ghaisar/)

~~~
kyleee
Why did Bijan keep driving away from the officers? The officers definitely
should have to wear body cams

Very weird case

~~~
eganist
My understanding is that Bijan was a flighty and somewhat anxious person (we
shared mutual friends). I don't think that justifies unloading a magazine into
him while he's in his car.

Which is why Fairfax appears to be pushing for indictments. Regardless of
whether Bijan was guilty of anything, we'll never know because he was robbed
of both his right to due process as well as his life.

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joshstrange
"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

They want to say it was just smoke grenades and pepper balls... Which the CDC
defines as "tear gas".

~~~
barbegal
Where does the CDC define pepper balls as "tear gas"? It defines them as "riot
control agents" in this document
[https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/riotcontrol/factsheet.asp](https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/riotcontrol/factsheet.asp)
saying that these are "sometimes referred to as “tear gas”"

The CDC defines chloroacetophenone (CN) as tear gas
[https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750...](https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750033.html)

Pepper balls contain oleoresin capsicum (OC) which is different in terms of
its chemical composition but produces similar symptoms.

Depending on your definition, it may or may not be the same thing because
"tear gas" is an unscientific term.

~~~
joshstrange
Yes I referring to the CDC [0] page that says:

> Riot control agents (sometimes referred to as “tear gas”) are chemical
> compounds that temporarily make people unable to function by causing
> irritation to the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs, and skin.

I think we all agree that "gas/chemicals that cause tears" is "tear gas".
Anyone saying that tear gas was not used is splitting hairs and their
motivations should be questioned. This is not the time to be "technically
correct" when police are using things like this on peaceful protesters.

[0]
[https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/riotcontrol/factsheet.asp](https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/riotcontrol/factsheet.asp)

------
brenden2
The police seemingly operate with impunity. If you accuse them, they will deny
wrongdoing. Trying to gaslight people about their tactics seems like par for
the course.

The question is: who will police the police? They can't be trusted to police
themselves as we're seeing.

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chkaloon
This argument is a purposeful distraction by the administration's supporters.
The focus should be on the fact that a protest was cleared so the president
could do a silly photo op. A blasphemous photo op.

This "tear gas" argument is a red herring meant to distract from the real
issue. And the media is falling for it.

~~~
sukilot
You're slipping into the "4D chess" trap a bit. The "not tear gas" is merely
banal grasping at straws to find any way they can to defend their behavior.
Thoughtful observers will see that the defense incriminates more than it
exonerates

~~~
chkaloon
I think we're saying the same thing. Vox ruminating on the finer points of
canister markings distracts from the true issue here.

