As riots continue against ICE operations in Minneapolis, law enforcement has been observed using a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD.
Images from agitators outside hotels in the Minneapolis area on January 26 show officers positioned next to LRAD speakers as rioters fight against officers who are carrying out Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement operation that has resulted in over 3,000 arrests across Minnesota since December, according to the DHS.
“We have arrested over 10,000 criminal illegal aliens who were killing Americans, hurting children and reigning terror in Minneapolis because Tim Walz and Jacob Frey refuse to protect their own people and instead protect criminals,” said Secretary Kristi Noem in the press release. “In the last 6 weeks, our brave DHS law enforcement have arrested 3,000 criminal illegal aliens including vicious murderers, rapists, child pedophiles, and incredibly dangerous individuals. A huge victory for public safety.”
The use of these unique crowd-deterrent acoustic devices is just the latest chapter in the controversial history of “sound weapons.”
From Somali Pirates to American Streets
The story of the LRAD begins not with crowd control, but with a terrorist attack that took place halfway across the world.
Following the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen that killed 17 American sailors, inventor Woody Norris developed the Long Range Acoustic Device for military use.
The weapon was designed to project clear voice commands over long distances while also emitting a high-frequency warning tone that could deter potential threats without lethal force.
The technology first proved its worth in 2005 when the crew of the cruise ship Seabourn Spirit used an LRAD to repel Somali pirates who attacked the vessel off the coast of Africa, according to a past report from The Maritime Executive.
The device’s piercing alarm successfully drove off the pirate attackers – allegedly without requiring Security onboard to fire a single shot.
Within just a few years, the military technology would find a new destination: American streets.
The first documented use of an LRAD against American rioters occurred during the 2009 G20 summit in Pittsburgh, which resulted in a subsequent lawsuit and multiple large settlements, per the ACLU.
Since then, reports have surfaced about devices used at Occupy Wall Street, per the University of California, and at other gatherings across the country.
How the Weapons Work
LRADs operate on a simple principle: concentrated sound.
Unlike conventional speakers that push out audio waves in all directions, LRADs use acoustic technology to create a 30-degree cone of sound. This allows operators to target specific locations or groups while leaving those standing beside the device relatively unaffected, as described by the manufacturer Genasys.
In “voice mode,” the devices function as powerful loudspeakers, projecting commands over distances of more than a mile. According to Genasys, the systems can even overcome 88 decibels of background noise at a distance of 250 meters.
The “alert mode” is what potentially transforms the device from a communication tool into a weapon. When activated, the LRAD emits a high-pitched deterrent tone that can reach 160 decibels at close range.
For context, a normal conversation measures about 50 decibels, a lawnmower approximately 90 decibels.
Exposure to the alert tone can reportedly cause immediate and severe side effects, including: headaches, nausea, dizziness, disorientation, and, at close range, permanent hearing loss.
A Pattern of Injuries and Legal Battles
The use of LRADs has left a trail of medical complaints and courtroom battles.
In 2011, a bystander at the G20 riots sued Pittsburgh after suffering permanent hearing loss from LRAD exposure.
In 2014, New York Police Department officers allegedly aimed an LRAD purposefully at rioters during a Black Lives Matter demonstration, firing the deterrent tone between 15 and 20 times over three minutes at distances as close as 10 feet.
The resulting lawsuit made its way to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which ruled in 2021 that purposely using an LRAD in a way that is capable of causing serious injury to protesters violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s prohibition against excessive force.
Under the settlement agreement, NYPD officers are now prohibited from using the specific tone, per Gothamist. The department was also required to establish minimum safe distances between LRADs and people within the LRADs’ sound cones.
Use In Minneapolis Riots
The appearance of LRADs in Minneapolis comes during tensions between federal immigration enforcement and rioters.
It appears LRAD devices have been tested or seen more frequently in the city over the past week.
A video posted by X User KimKatieUSA on January 27 allegedly shows Minneapolis Police officers standing behind the device, surrounded by rioters, before a loud audio voice can be heard through the speakers saying, “Test of long range acoustic device, LRAD, 1 – 2 – 3.”
At the count of 3, a crowd can be seen retreating backwards away from the officers, some clutching their ears.
Part of a Bigger Arsenal
As The Dallas Express previously reported, the Department of War confirmed plans on January 23 to scale “directed energy weapons” – a category that includes acoustic devices, laser systems, and other technologies that use “concentrated electromagnetic” energy.
The announcement followed reports of American forces using a “sonic weapon” during the January raid to capture former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Guards at the compound described a weapon that projected a very “intense sound wave” that allegedly caused severe physical effects, including bleeding from the nose and vomiting blood.
Legal and Ethical Questions
The American Civil Liberties Union has officially recommended that the use of acoustic weapons at riots be suspended due to potential health risks and the lack of enough studies on their long-term effects.
Still, LRADs continue to boom in popularity.
Genasys claims its devices are used in more than 100 countries and 500 American cities. The exact number of departments that own the devices remains unclear.
What Comes Next
Assaults on ICE: +1,300% ██████████████
Vehicular Attacks: +3,200% ██████████████████████████████
Death Threats: +8,000% ██████████████████████████████████████████████“The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric! Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America. LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB!” the President wrote in a social media post on January 24.
