The Brief
- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security spent millions of dollars stockpiling chemical munitions in the lead up to immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota and Chicago, according to a FOX 9 Investigators review of federal spending contracts.
- Federal agents allegedly misused MK-9 chemical pepper spray during Operation Metro Surge in at least 44 cases, according to a study by the Physicians for Human Rights Center at the University of California Berkeley.
- A former advisor to DHS said the agency’s use-of-force policies were antiquated and “didn’t reflect current best practices.”
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Federal agents allegedly misused a powerful grade of pepper spray known as MK-9 dozens of times during Operation Metro Surge, including at close-range, according to a study by the Physicians for Human Rights Center.
DHS used MK-9 chemical spray heavily in Twin Cities metro
By the numbers:
The study found federal agents used MK-9 heavily in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Fort Snelling and Owatonna, including at least 44 documented cases of alleged misuse of the chemical spray.
“This is the first big protest in the United States where I’ve seen it used at a scale like this,” said Dr. Rohini Haar, who helped lead the UC Berkeley study, which documented heavy use of MK-9 in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Fort Snelling and Owatonna. …