Rubber bullets can cause blindness, fractures, and organ injury. Here's what to do if you get hit.
As protests over the death of George Floyd have flared in cities across the US, police responded with batons, tear gas, and rubber bullets, videos show.
In many cases, it appears their targets weren't necessarily people looting and causing destruction, but rather anyone who was there, including peaceful protesters, kids, and journalists.
Linda Tirado, a journalist in Minnesota got shot with a rubber bullet to the eye, and later reported she permanently lost sight in it.
While rubber bullets are intended to be a relatively harmless crowd-control technique, they can be extremely harmful, leading to everything from fractures to death, Dr. Jose Torradas, a spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians, told Insider. But there are ways to protect yourself.
Rubber bullets should feel like being hit with a paintball
Rubber bullets are what they sound like, though sometimes they're not completely made of rubber and instead are made of another material like steel and coated in rubber, Torradas said. Law enforcement professionals use them to disperse crowds while, in theory, minimizing harm.
"They're used because of their composition and weight and how they're shaped," which allows them to lose velocity quickly, he said. That way, they shouldn't break the skin if they're fired at a far enough distance, as intended.
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