Police in Spokane, located in eastern Washington state, will soon have all 181 rifles equipped with suppressors, something the department says will protect officers and civilians from hearing damage. The move is said to protect the department from workers compensation claims and civilian lawsuits.
“It’s nothing more than like the muffler you put on your car,” Lt. Rob Boothe, the range master and lead firearms instructor for the department, told the Spokesman-Review.
According to City Council President Ben Stuckart, residents wanted to know why the police department needed suppressors.
“I had a couple citizens contact me about why the police are using suppressed rifles. I thought it was appropriate to get information,” Stuckart said.
The Spokane Police Department’s SWAT team has utilized suppressors since 2013.
by Beth Baumann