Official Summary Text
SB 937, as amended, Gonzalez.
Law enforcement:
flashbang
flash-bang
grenades and explosive breaching charges.
Existing law prohibits the use of kinetic energy projectiles or chemical agents by any law enforcement agency to disperse any assembly, protest, or demonstration, except in compliance with specified standards.
Existing law requires kinetic energy projectiles and chemical agents only to be deployed by a peace officer that has received proper training for crowd control, as specified, or to bring an objectively dangerous and unlawful situation safely and effectively under control and only in accordance with certain requirements, including that de-escalation techniques have been attempted and have failed, kinetic energy projectiles and chemical agents are not aimed at the head, neck, or any other vital organs, and, if the chemical agent to be deployed is tear gas, only a commanding officer at the scene of
the assembly, protest, or demonstration may authorize the use of tear gas.
This bill would
prohibit the use of flashbang grenades, as defined, by any peace officer to disperse any assembly, protest, or demonstration, except in compliance with specified standards.
expand the above prohibition and exception to include flash-bang grenades, as defined.
The bill would define
peace officer as any officer of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency, or any person acting on behalf of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency.
law enforcement agency as any department or agency of the state or any local government, special district, or other political subdivision thereof, that employs any peace officer, as defined, or any federal law enforcement agency.
The bill would prohibit the use of
flashbang
flash-bang
grenades near school grounds, parks, or other areas where children
may be
are visibly
present and by any
peace officer
law enforcement agency
for the purposes of immigration enforcement.
The bill would also only allow a commanding officer at the scene to authorize the use of flash-bang grenades.
Existing law requires each law enforcement agency to publish specified use of force incidents to the Department of Justice and requires the Department of Justice to publish those reports, as specified.
This bill would additionally require law enforcement agencies to report the use of
flashbang
flash-bang
grenades. By imposing new duties on local law enforcement agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law prohibits the possession of any destructive device and makes a violation of this prohibition punishable as a misdemeanor or felony. Existing law exempts specified peace officers from this prohibition.
This bill would prohibit a peace officer,
defined above,
as defined,
from using an explosive breaching charge, as defined, for the purpose of immigration enforcement.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State
Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
The bill would declare the severability of its provisions.