But North Dakota law enforcement officers have aggressively countered Wilansky’s account, releasing multiple statements accusing protesters of setting off an explosion. Law enforcement officials did not respond to queries from the Guardian seeking a list of all the types of “less-than-lethal” weapons used on Sunday, a list of all the law enforcement agencies present and further details on its statements about the incident. “The injuries are inconsistent with any resources utilized by law enforcement and are not a direct result of any tools or weapons used by law enforcement,” Iverson said in a statement. More than 500 people have been arrested during the months-long standoff, and law enforcement officials have deployed pepper spray, teargas, rubber bullets, Tasers, sound weapons and other “less-than-lethal” methods. The Mandan police chief, Jason Ziegler, said in a press conference on Monday that law enforcement agencies “can use whatever force necessary to maintain peace”.

Source: The Guardian November 23, 2016 15:36 UTC