Last year many Americans were introduced to the flashbang grenade with news that a Georgia toddler suffered serious burns to his face and chest after police tossed the explosive device into his playpen, an action for which they were not indicted. Now, a new report from ProPublica on the use of these grenades provides more detail about the technology, including the shocking fact that they burn victims at a higher temperature than molten lava.
Because "there are few records kept on flashbang deployment," it is unknown how many Americans have been burned, deafened, or even killed by these grenades. However, they are frequently used in drug raids and other searches for nonviolent suspects, like the Arkansas grandmother who was selling beer and nachos out of her house to make ends meet.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Spain's love of sunflower seeds is wrecking its football stadiumsUnder the Radar One club controversially bans 'national vice' as discarded 'pipas' shells block drains and erode concrete
-
Today's political cartoons - May 11, 2025Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - shark-infested waters, Mother's Day, and more
-
5 fundamentally funny cartoons about the US ConstitutionCartoons Artists take on Sharpie edits, wear and tear, and more
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
