How pepper spray and tear gas used by law enforcement impact human health

One week ago Tuesday, a confrontation led to St. Paul police using chemical irritants and projectiles on a crowd. Hundreds of people gathered to protest and document the arrest of two people by federal immigration agents. The police department says it is reviewing officers’ response. The incident came just days after a similar confrontation with federal agents in another part of the city. They, too, used chemical irritants and projectiles. In cities across the country, federal immigration actions have resulted in frequent clashes between law enforcement and community members who are organizing to respond. More could be on the horizon after reports came out Tuesday that federal agents are expected to target hundreds of Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities. Minneapolis and St. Paul leaders said in a press conference that local law enforcement will not assist the operation but will respond to public safety threats. To understand more about the health impacts of what are called less lethal methods of crowd control, MPR News host Nina Moini talked with Dr. Rohini Haar. She is an emergency physician, a medical advisor for the group Physicians for Human Rights and a lecturer in the University of California-Berkeley law school.