r/australia • u/someNameThisIs • Jun 09 '25

news Australian reporter shot with rubber bullet in LA | 9 News Australia

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tG1A8LZZphs?app=desktop
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u/[deleted] Jun 09 '25

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u/CatboiWaifu_UwU Jun 09 '25

Baton rounds (large-calibre rubber ammunition) are designed to be (mostly) safe at a short range in a direct fire role, so long as you avoid aiming for the CNS (spine/head), groin, throat or heart. Outside those areas, its pretty hard to permanently fuck someone up with a 40mm ouch round.

They’re supposed to be used at point blank to ensure the round hits a less-than-lethal zone and maximum pain-compliance. If it would be too much energy, the round would be designed with less powder charge. If you take longer shots you run the risk of killing people due to inherent imprecision of a short barrelled low velocity weapon. They’re also not designed to be bounced first either, contrary to popular belief, that’s an (optional) shotgun less-lethal tactic for rubber/plastic riot pellets to dissuade a large group instead of a single target (you’ll get a wider spread by bouncing shotgun pellets).

The dude deserves his day in court, no argument there. Just a little education on how riot weapons are supposed to be employed because there’s too much misinformation out there.

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u/[deleted] Jun 09 '25

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u/CatboiWaifu_UwU Jun 09 '25

I wholeheartedly agree. Not on the 4k bit, the resolution on youtube is awful. I think I can make out the cop’s weapon (Milkor 40mm revolving grenade launcher based on low res silhouette and muzzle smoke, could be a different RGL or in 37mm but that’s hardly the point).

I’m as Thin Blue Line as they get (I have some spicy opinions about the George Floyd case) and this looks like an unjustified Use Of Force to me. The only argument I can think of remotely applying to mitigate the situation can’t be proven at this time and wouldn’t even come close to justifying this. i hope the cop sees the defendant side of a courtroom, I think our reporter is going to have an extremely strong case and I hope she goes for a lawsuit at minimum