Sheriff's officials in Goshen County, Wyo., are touting a grenade launcher as a useful tool for keeping the peace, even though they have never used it.
The Casper Star-Tribune reported Sunday that officials bought the weapon for use in the county jail, which houses 25 inmates and has not had a large fight in the past year.
Lt. Jeremy Wardell says the grenade launcher, one of three the county has owned, is a less-lethal option for controlling riots. He compared it to pepper spray or a Taser. Officials say deputies can also use it to fire tear gas during a hostage situation, though Goshen County has not had one in 15 years.
Linda Burt, director of the ACLU in Wyoming, says the grenade launcher could make tense situations worse.
The initial police reaction in August to protests over a police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, drew national attention to the militarization of local police departments, with critics arguing that the heavily armed police presence only fueled the tensions.
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