Legislators in the Massachusetts House of Representatives have begun a debate on how law enforcement officers in the state will operate and be trained, but the early outcome is that things like the use of tear gas in crowd control will remain in place.
According to WBGH, lawmakers began a lengthy discussion on the use of tear gas, due process rights for police officers, and the makeup of a proposed statewide board that would certify and decertify law enforcement officers
One representative—Jack Patrick Lewis (D-Framingham)—said after the closed-door discussions with other lawmakers, "Tear gas is an indiscriminate and violent way to disperse a crowd and one that is banned in most countries and on battlefields by international treaty."
On Thursday, the state's House of Representatives overwhelmingly rejected a proposed amendment to prohibit the use of tear gas and other chemical agents by law enforcement officers.
