KINETIC IMPACT PROJECTILES

Kinetic impact projectiles (KIPs), commonly known as rubber and plastic , are used for crowd- control purposes by law enforcement worldwide in multiple forms and are shot from myriad types of and launchers. The findings of a systematic review of medical literature carried out by Physicians for Human Rights indicate that KIPs cause serious injury, disability, and death. KIPs are inherently inaccurate when fired from afar and therefore can cause unintended injuries to bystanders and strike vulnerable body parts; at close range, they are likely to be lethal. Therefore, KIPs are not an appropriate to be used for crowd management and specifically for dispersal purposes.

HISTORY DEPLOYMENT MECHANISM

The first kinetic impact projectiles used in protests were sawed-off pieces of KIPs are deployed from a wide range of launchers and guns. broom handles that were shot against rioter in Singapore in the 1880s. The Some are additions to also used for live , British also developed first wooden, then plastic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) while others are specially designed for crowd-control and rubber bullets for use in demonstrations in Northern Ireland. The United . Depending on the type of and launcher, States began using rubber and plastic bullets during Vietnam War protests. single or multiple projectiles may be fired at once.

RUBBER & PLASTIC BULLETS BEAN BAG ROUNDS, SPONGE ROUNDS PELLET ROUNDS are solid, spherical, or also known as flexible is a term for projectiles that are cartridges filled with cylindrical projectiles batons, are synthetic cloth limit penetration of the small lead, steel, or plastic/ of variable sizes fired as bags filled with small metal projectile into the skin by rubber pellets that spread single shots or in groups of pellets that are fit into a having a tip or nose that is out when fired. Metal multiple projectiles. Pellets and expand as slightly softer. These include shot such as buckshot and can be made of rubber, they travel to create a wide COMMON TYPES OF foam rounds with a hard birdshot are considered plastic, PVC, or a composite surface area impact. foam nose or attenuated crowd- control weapons by including metal. PROJECTILES energy projectiles with a some countries. hollow nose.

HOW THEY WORK

KIPs work by transferring from a weapon into a person. KIPs are purportedly designed to inflict pain and incapacitate an individual without penetrating the body. In theory, the larger shape and slower of KIPs should limit their ability to penetrate the skin or cause deep blunt trauma injury. However, due to their irregular shape and slower speed, KIPs are often inaccurate and therefore can strike vulnerable body parts or unintended targets.

HEALTH EFFECTS

KIPs can cause blunt or penetrative BRAIN trauma. Penetrative injuries are those Blunt trauma to the brain can cause concussions and bruising inside the brain (contusions) as well as that pierce the skin or soft tissue. Blunt different types of bleeding in the brain (intracranial injuries are those that cause internal hemorrhage) and skull fractures. KIPs have also been damage without breaking the known to penetrate the skull or enter the brain tissue, causing hemorrhage, injury to the spinal cord, and skin barrier. severe brain injury from the foreign body.

EYES Direct trauma to the eye from KIPs nearly HEAD AND NECK always causes total blindness in that eye, The delicate structures of the face and neck are due to rupture of the globe (eyeball) as well particularly vulnerable to traumatic injury. The bones as trauma to nearby structures. KIPs can of the face and skull, the spinal cord, and the blood also penetrate through the eye socket and vessels in the neck are all close to the skin surface. enter the brain, causing brain injury.

ABDOMINAL CARDIORESPIRATORY SYSTEM Blunt injuries can cause bleeding in the solid KIPs can cause bruising of the lungs or heart, organs such as the liver, kidney, and spleen; and penetration into the chest may cause serious, penetrative injuries can also cause bleeding, possibly fatal injuries such as bleeding, pneumothorax, perforations, and urogenital injuries. and heart attacks.

MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM SKIN AND SOFT TISSUE Injuries to the muscles and bones may cause sprains, KIPs can cause bruising and contusions of the skin and bruises, and fractures. Deeper injuries can cause soft tissue, as well as superficial and deep lacerations, permanent damage to the neurovascular structures, some of which may cause muscle or nerve damage as leading to amputations or compartment syndrome. well as bleeding.

FINDINGS ON INJURIES FROM A LITERATURE REVIEW AND RESEARCH

A systematic review conducted by Physicians for Human Rights of medical literature on kinetic impact DEATHS PERMANENT DISABILITY INJURY SEVERITY projectiles over the past 25 years identifies 1,925 49% of deaths resulted from Permanent vision loss 70% of all those who were people who suffered injuries, 53 of whom died, and direct strikes to the head was the most common injured had severe injuries 294 people who suffered permanent disabilities. While and neck and 23% resulted permanent disability. Some that required professional these findings do not enable estimates of prevalence, from blunt injury to the 84% of eye injuries resulted medical assistance. they indicate that KIPs have resulted in significant brain, spine, or chest. in permanent vision loss. morbidity and mortality.

BULLET’S COMPOSITION FIRING DISTANCE SITE OF IMPACT DELAYED ACCESS TO Bullets with metal in Firing distance correlates Impacts to the head, MEDICAL CARE them, such as rubber- with the severity of neck, face, and other Overburdened medical coated metal bullets, injuries. Some types VARIABLES THAT vulnerable body parts facilities, checkpoints, pellets, and metal of KIPs have a muzzle CAN EXACERBATE can exacerbate delayed presentation composite bullets, are velocity similar to that INJURIES injury severity. because of fear of arrest more dangerous because of live ammunition, and or reprisal, or failure of they travel at higher therefore close-range medical personnel to and hit the body firing of KIPs can result recognize injury are all much harder. in severe injuries and factors that can delay disabilities. access to medical care.

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS INDISCRIMINATE KIPS THAT FIRE MULTIPLE PROJECTILES, SUCH AS SHOTGUN PELLETS, SHOULD BE PROHIBITED IN THE CONTEXT OF PROTESTS.

KIPs in general are not an appropriate Rubber-coated metal bullets are not weapon for crowd managements and, safe and should be prohibited. specifically, for dispersal purposes. Most cannot be used effectively and safely Some types of KIPs are able to provide against crowds. At close ranges, levels of a less lethal and accurate alternative. lethality and patterns of injury of some KIPS Deployment of those KIPs should be become similar to those of live ammunition. restricted to circumstances where a At longer ranges, KIPs are inaccurate and threat to life or a threat of serious injury indiscriminate. Some KIPs are lethal in close exists, and where all other means to range and ineffective at longer distances protect lives are inapplicable. which make safe use difficult.

For more information, see Physicians for Human Rights and INCLO, “Lethal in Disguise: The Health Consequences of Crowd-Control Weapons.” (March, 2016).