KAHEA ASKS BLNR TO RENOUNCE USE OF SECRETLY PURCHASED MILITARY WEAPONS AGAINST NONVIOLENT DEMONSTRATORS

KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, through its attorney Lance D. Collins, wrote to Suzanne Case, Chair of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) requesting her to publicly renounce the use of its recently procured Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), commonly referred to as a “sound cannon.”

LRADs were developed by military contractors after the bombing of the USS Cole. LRADs are pain inflicting weapons used by the U.S. military to suppress close-range attacks on Navy warships. When mounted aboard a Navy ship, the “area denial” feature emits a “sound at a dangerously high level . . . to cause pain/hearing damage” as well as “repel” an attack on a warship by combatants.

Individuals immediately lose balance, experience nausea, dizziness and lack of control over bodily movement. The use of LRAD as a deterrent or dispersant of nonviolent, noncombatant civilians has caused serious and many times permanent bodily injury in a number of cases across the United States since certain law enforcement agencies began using them on noncombatants.

KAHEA’s attorney pointed to state, federal, and international law provisions under which use of the LRAD against nonviolent demonstrators is unlawful. “Under federal constitution law,” KAHEA wrote, “the use of this military weapon (the 100X model specifically procured by you) in a manner capable of causing serious and permanent bodily injury to move non-violent demonstrators ‘violates the Fourteenth Amendment under clearly established law.’” According to DLNR documents, its LRAD contract is from June 15, 2019 to December 19, 2019 and the justification for the approximately $15,000 purchase of the device is for natural disaster warnings.

KAHEA’s letter, however, notes that an LRAD device was first observed in DLNR officers’ possession during demonstrations on Haleakalā last year and was confirmed only after multiple open records requests by KAHEA were denied.

KAHEA’s letter requests Case to “immediately and publicly renounce the use of these military weapons against civilian noncombatants seeking to protect natural resources and historic properties anywhere within your department's jurisdiction” and promises to seek the protection of the courts if no such action is taken.

Contact:
Lance Collins