Past councils restricted the use of so-called less-lethal weapons following the department’s violent response to racial justice protests in May 2020.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Seattle City Council approved a measure allowing Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers to use “less-lethal” weapons in specific cases to control crowds.

The Seattle City Council voted to approve legislation that sets ground rules on crowd management for the police department. On Tuesday, the council voted 6-3 in favor of the legislative language that will include amendments that provide additional oversight,

The Seattle City Council voted 6-3 on Tuesday to allow police to use less-lethal weapons for crowd control, including blast balls and tear gas.