A 90-day injunction has been granted to stop Dallas police from using crowd control devices on protesters.
Civil rights attorneys filed a lawsuit against the City of Dallas on Thursday and asked for the temporary restraining order to stop police from using “less lethal” weapons that have injured multiple people.
The legal actions were filed in the name of two victims, 21-year-old Vincent Doyle and 27-year-old Tasia Williams.
Doyle was recording with his cellphone during a protest May 30 when police began giving orders for crowds to disperse.
"And then all of a sudden it was just boom! I thought I had got shot for real," he said.
In the video, Doyle dropped to the ground with blood streaming from his face from a direct hit by what he believes was a less-lethal "sponge round."
Doyle suffered two large cuts under his left eye and a broken cheekbone. He now has limited eye vision two weeks after the incident.
Williams was one of the estimated 700 peaceful protesters on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge on June 1, when she says officers corralled demonstrators on the bridge and shot her in the thigh with a rubber projectile.
"It's hard for me to sleep not only because of my injury, but because I keep playing it over and over in my head thinking it could have been worse," she said.
The injunction says all officers of the Dallas Police Department are prohibited from using tear gas, smoke bombs, flashbangs, pepperballs, mace, and other chemical agents in connection with peaceful protests, and against anyone who is not posing an immediate threat or causing harm.
It continues to say officers are not allowed to fire or deploy “kinetic impact projectiles into a crowd for any purpose.”
It will be in effect from June 11 to Sept. 20, unless extended or dissolved by the court.
The Dallas Police Department released the following statement:
"The Dallas Police Department respects the judge’s decision and our officers will comply with the preliminary injunction – prohibiting the use of ‘less lethal’ weapons during peaceful protests. We support the first amendment and our residents’ right to exercise their civil liberty. Officers will continue to monitor and patrol the protests to ensure that protesters are safe, as well as the businesses and the city of Dallas as a whole. Like many law enforcement agencies across the country, the Dallas Police Department is a proponent of police reform. In the coming days and months, we will implement new policies to address police brutality and the inequalities communities of color endure due to systemic racism and injustices. DPD is committed to bridging the gap with all of our residents and will uphold our oath to protect and serve the City of Dallas."
Watch: A Q&A with City Manager T.C. Broadnax:
More on WFAA:
- Man who lost an eye to a projectile during Dallas protests demands answers from police
- 'It's a parent's nightmare': Protester lost eye after officer fired at him, witnesses say
- President Trump says he'll pursue police use-of-force standard
- Dallas police oversight board calls for review of use of force, protest policies
- Dallas City Council grills police chief about officers' use of force during local protests
