Students Death Raises Concerns about Weapons Essay -- Journalism Viol

Students Death Raises Concerns about WeaponsBrett Schweinberg, a 19-year-old Emerson student and Brookline resident, never imagined that a night intended for so much celebration in capital of Massach accustomtts could end so tragically.Schweinberg was one of an estimated 80,000 revelers who flooded the streets of Kenmore Square and the Fenway Park resemblance in the early hours of Oct. 21, following the Boston Red Soxs ALCS achievement over the New York Yankees.It was really a happy, fun, cheering crowd, Schweinberg said. It was a Mardi Gras adjoin with no route and no floats. It wasnt a violent affair, and it certainly wasnt a riot.However, the vibrant atmosphere quickly dissipated when members of the BPD, around mounted on horseback and some armed with less-lethal FN-303 launchers, took action to conciliate and disperse the crowd. Schweinberg, who was watching the crowd from the beams of Fenway Parks left battlefield wall, sustained two injuries when he was hit with pellets f rom the compressed air rifle. furthest worse for Schweinberg, however, was witnessing fellow Emerson student and journalism major, 21-year-old Victoria Snelgrove, suffer a fatal wound to the eye shortly thereafter. She dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. She started bleeding profusely out of the face, Schweinberg said. Several hours later, Snelgrove was pronounced deathlike at Brigham and Womens Hospital. Her tragic death has cast a ruffle of criticism on the BPDs decision to use one of the newest less-lethal technologies a weapon the BPD had never used in a field website on a mostly college-aged crowd. The FN-303s were purchased by the BPD last summer for the peculiar(prenominal) purpose of controlling potential protests at the Democratic National Conven... ...joined unneurotic to form The Campaign to Ban Less-Lethal Weapons and circulate a petition with the determination of imparting a ban within the city. The petition states that First, these weapons must be r e-classified as lethal. This is not only if accurate, but it ensures that these weapons are used only in situations that would otherwise justify the use of lethal force.Other conditions utter in the petition include independent testing for all weapons and supernumerary training for law enforcement officials according to weapon manufacturer specifications. However, Terrill thinks there is unretentive possibility that the FN-303 will be used by the BPD again. In a city stung by one incident, regardless of what the science or research shows afterwards, city officials are usually very reluctant to use that weapon or permit a public policy where it would be used again.