A federal judge will now decide whether to leash mace-wielding St. Louis cops who have repeatedly teargassed and pepper sprayed protesters in recent weeks.Lawyers for the city and the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri wrapped up their arguments this morning in a hearing regarding some of the most aggressive tactics used by police officers. The ACLU is seeking an injunction that would bar city police officers from certain tactics during their response to protests.
Tony Rothert, legal director of the state ACLU chapter, described the city cops' penchant for using pepper spray to clear the streets as a modern-day version of the fire hoses that Alabama authorities turned on marchers in the 1960s during the Civil Rights movement.
"Right now in St. Louis, pepper spray is the new fire hose," Rothert told Perry.
The hearing lasted roughly seventeen hours, spread over three days, and served as the warm-up for an underlying lawsuit against the city.…