Lots of tear gassing happening now in Ferguson. nt

[jaysunb]

55. Long Range Accustic Device

Designed to scare the shit out of, the unsuspecting.....


The LRAD 500X-RE, the model that appears to have been present at the Ferguson demonstration, “achieves maximum sound projection and penetration beyond 2,000 meters” and can reach 149 decibels. The 500X-RE gives law enforcement “the ability to issue clear, authoritative verbal commands, followed with powerful deterrent tones.” And according to a report by the Economist in 2004, those deterrent tones cause immediate headaches and pain. Since LRADs can blast above a person’s 120-decibel discomfort mark, and their 130-decibel threshold for potential hearing loss, there’s no telling what the consequences of encountering a LRAD may be for protesters. One woman sued the city of Pittsburgh for permanent damage caused by an LRAD. And the Missouri Department of Transportation purchased two LRADs in April, though it's unclear if they are the same ones used in Ferguson.

LRADs may look like dopey satellite dishes, but the SWAT teams in Ferguson on Wednesday definitely brought out the big guns when they turned on the deterrent tones. Not to mention their actual guns.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/08/14/lrad_long_range_acoustic_device_sound_cannons_were_used_for_crowd_control.html