Virginia lawmakers back away from tear gas, rubber bullets ban

In a bill to prevent local police from using military equipment, Virginia lawmakers are backing away from a sweeping ban on tear gas, rubber bullets and other crowd control tactics.

These methods came under fire after they were used against demonstrators in a series of racial justice protests in Richmond, prompting two City Council members to propose a prohibition. Action on that was deferred so the new police chief could improve training, which he admitted was lacking.

At least one Democrat is calling the version of the bill that recently passed in the House of Delegates “weak” but some parts still go too far for law enforcement.

“We need to be pro-First Amendment, it’s part of our Constitution. We need to be pro-police reform and we also need to be pro-police and I think this bill accomplishes all of that,” said Del. Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax), who introduced the bill dubbed the ‘Best Equipment for Law-Enforcement Act.’

Instead of an outright ban, Helmer’s bill sets stricter standards for police departments who use these tactics.

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