U.S. law enforcement agencies commonly deploy chemical agents such as tear gas and kinetic impact munitions such as pepper balls as non-lethal tools to protect officers and manage hostile crowds.
October 28, 2025
high
operational
Describes standard crowd-management tools and the operational justification often cited for their use.
Law enforcement agencies use non-lethal crowd-control munitions such as pepper balls, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse or clear crowds.
high
procedural
Common crowd-control tactics used by law enforcement
Pepper balls are a type of crowd-control device used by law enforcement.
high
descriptive
Article lists pepper balls alongside tear gas as examples of crowd-control devices.
Law enforcement agencies use riot-control devices such as tear gas and pepper balls for crowd control and to respond when agents perceive they are under attack.
high
procedural
Riot-control munitions are deployed for crowd-management and defensive purposes.