⚠ Not yet reviewed by a medical professional. Sourced information, to be confirmed.

Police weapons: effects, injuries and debris

Key points

• Identifying the weapon by its effect, wound pattern and debris helps adapt medical care and build evidence (medical certificate with ITT, complaint).
• Explosive grenades (GM2L, GL-304 "Condor", 40 mm EF-SON / ASSD stun cartridges): risk of blast effect (145 to 175 dB: hearing loss, lungs, internal organs) and shrapnel wounds (polycriblage) from red/orange hard plastic or black rubber fragments invisible on standard X-rays (ask for an ultrasound or CT scan).
• Kinetic impacts: 40 mm LBD (40 mm ring-shaped bruise, fractures, severe eye injuries), GENL (18 rubber pellets leaving 2–3 cm geometric bruises), baton / tonfa / telescopic baton ("tramline" bruise with pale shocked skin in the middle, linear split wound or small round tip wound).
• Debris: never pick up a burning tear-gas sub-munition or an unexploded grenade with bare hands; photograph markings with a scale and store cooled fragments in a clean bag.

Where to start?

• Someone has just been hit → identify the weapon and act in order.
• Which weapon caused this injury? → recognising the weapon from the wound and debris.
• At A&E or the doctor's → what to tell them.
• Debris on the ground → collecting and photographing it.

Recognising the weapon that caused an injury allows you both to alert hospital staff to specific risks (non-metallic fragments invisible on standard X-rays, internal blast injuries) and to support the medical certificate and investigation through characteristic wound patterns and munition markings.¹²

Life-threatening emergency, eyes and blast effect

Tearing wound, heavy bleeding, blow or projectile to the head or eye, shortness of breath, chest pain or confusion after a detonation (blast effect): call 112 (or 15, SAMU) immediately. Never rinse or press on an eye hit by a projectile.³⁴

Flowchart: identify the weapon and act in order

1. What effect at the moment of impact?
   • Close-quarters strike → baton (tonfa or telescopic baton).⁵
   • Single high-speed projectile, no explosion → 40 mm LBD (black rubber bullet) or tear-gas cartridge fired in a flat trajectory.⁶¹
   • Irritant smoke, no loud detonation → tear-gas puck (circular thermal burn + CS gas).¹
   • Explosion projecting black rubber pellets → GENL sting-ball grenade (18 pellets).⁷⁸
   • Loud detonation with shockwave (blast) and shrapnel → GM2L grenade (gas + red/orange plastic fragments), GL-304 "Condor" (black "tyre-like" rubber fragments) or EF-SON / ASSD cartridge (40 mm stun munition).⁹⁸
2. What care and tests should you ask for?
   • Shrapnel peppering (GM2L, GL-304, EF-SON) → tell emergency staff that plastic or rubber fragments are radiolucent (ask for an ultrasound or CT scan before stitching).⁸
   • Close detonation (blast) → monitor lungs, balance and hearing; see an ENT specialist or A&E within 24 hours in case of tinnitus or hearing loss.⁸¹⁰
3. What evidence should you preserve?
   • On the body → photograph every lesion with a ruler for scale and obtain a descriptive medical certificate with ITT.²
   • On the ground → photograph cooled debris (wide shot + close-up of markings with scale) and keep them in a clean bag.¹²

Recognising the weapon from the wound and debris

French law enforcement uses so-called "intermediate force" weapons and pyrotechnic munitions regulated by the Internal Security Code, which regularly cause maiming and severe injuries.¹¹¹²

Weapon / munition	Firing mode and effect	Direct injuries and typical pattern	Secondary injuries	Debris to recognise on the ground
Batons (Tonfa / BDPL, telescopic baton / BTD)5	Close-quarters strike (rigid side-handle baton or extendable steel shaft with round tip)	Bruise with pale "shocked skin" in the middle (parallel purple tramlines around a pale central band), linear open wound, or small round open wound (telescopic baton tip); small fractures, head trauma	Displaced fractures (forearm, hand raised in self-defence), broken ribs, internal bleeding	Rarely leaves debris (occasionally unscrewed metal tip or handle cap)
Tear-gas grenades and cartridges (CS)113	Hand-thrown (MP7, CM6) or fired from 56 mm Cougar, 40 mm LMC or 40 mm Cobra launchers; splits into burning tear-gas pucks	Thermal burns (usually circular, from contact with a burning puck on skin or through melted clothing)14	Breathing distress, eye and skin irritation; severe blunt trauma (fractures, face, skull) if the cartridge hits in a direct flat shot or fails to separate415	Cylindrical aluminium or plastic casings (56 mm or 40 mm, orange/red/green band), black or metal cylindrical pucks with vent holes, end caps
40 mm LBD ("Flash-Ball" by misnomer)61617	Black foam-tipped rubber projectile (40×46 mm) fired at high speed in a direct shot (up to 350 km/h)18	40 mm ring-shaped imprint (4 cm red/purple ring with central abrasion / friction burn; asymmetry shows the projectile's direction), small fractures, soft-tissue damage, loss of an eye	Wind knocked out, broken ribs, head or facial trauma, internal bleeding (chest, abdomen)	40 mm ogival black rubber bullet (foam nose) and grey/black aluminium or plastic cylindrical casing (MDCP Alsetex / CTS)13
GENL ("Sting-ball" / Désencerclante, ex-GMD / DMP)7813	Hand-thrown grenade: explosion projecting 18 black rubber pellets at over 400 km/h (effective radius 15 m, up to 30 m; ~144 dB at 10 m) plus the central core; must be rolled along the ground and not thrown in the air19	2 to 3 cm geometric bruises (sharp-edged square, rectangular or round marks), small fractures, soft-tissue wounds, severe eye injuries	Mild hearing loss or tinnitus, loss of balance, psychological shock	2 to 3 cm black rubber pellets, perforated black plastic/metal cylindrical cage, fuse head and spoon
GM2L ("Combined effects": tear gas + stun)9820	Fired from a 56 mm Cougar launcher (replaced the GLI-F4): loud explosion (~160 dB at 10 m), CS tear-gas cloud (15 g of powder)21 and projection of red/orange debris	Shrapnel peppering (polycriblage), tearing wounds, bleeding, mutilations (hand, foot, face), with high probability of visible or hidden foreign bodies (radiolucent plastic)22	Tear-gas effects, loss of balance, severe hearing loss, blast effect (internal damage to lungs, head and viscera from the shockwave), psychological shock	Irregular fragments of bright red or orange hard plastic (bright orange ejectable canister bearing a "do not pick up" pictogram), grey plastic outer body, brown lid, red adhesive tape, small metal spring, spoon21
GL-304 ("Condor", "the Brazilian") and ASSD813	Hand-thrown blast grenade: first fuse-ejection pop then very loud explosion (up to 175 dB at 2 m according to the manufacturer), black "tyre-like" debris23	Shrapnel peppering, tearing wounds, bleeding, mutilations, with high probability of visible or hidden foreign bodies (radiolucent rubber)	Loss of balance, severe hearing loss, blast effect (lungs, head, viscera from the explosion), psychological shock	Shredded thick black rubber fragments ("tyre") (soft black elastomer body, cloud of inert white powder), metal washers, round base and black fuse head marked GL-304 / Condor or ASSD
EF-SON (40 mm "Stun" cartridge)813	Sound cartridge-grenade fired from a 40 mm Cobra or 40 mm LMC/Cougar launcher (single block with its propellant): loud explosion (~161 dB at 10 m, range ~80 m), issued to the CRS since 2025; its use was provisionally suspended after a 15-year-old's hand was blown off in Lens (5 October 2026)2422	Tearing wounds, bleeding, shrapnel peppering (recent munition with limited consolidated field data so far)	Loss of balance, severe hearing loss, blast effect (lungs, head, viscera from the explosion), psychological shock	Black 40 mm cylinder forming a single block with its propellant, plastic and metal fragments

What to tell emergency staff and the doctor

When treated by street medics, at hospital A&E or by the doctor writing your medical certificate:⁴²

• Grenade shrapnel peppering (GM2L, GL-304, EF-SON): warn about X-ray-invisible fragments. Immediately tell medical staff that the shrapnel is made of hard plastic (red/orange) or black rubber ("tyre").⁸ Because these materials are often radiolucent (invisible on a standard X-ray), ask for a soft-tissue ultrasound or CT scan before any wound closure so no foreign body is left behind to cause a deep infection.
• Blast effect after a loud explosion. Above 140 to 160 dB (GM2L, GL-304, ASSD, EF-SON), the shockwave can damage not only eardrums but also hollow organs (lungs, digestive tract) and the brain.⁸ Report any shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing, nausea, dizziness or loss of balance.
• Ringing ears (tinnitus), muffled hearing or hearing loss. See an ENT specialist or A&E within 24 hours of the detonation: early treatment greatly increases the chances of recovering your hearing.¹⁰
• Descriptive medical certificate with ITT. Ask the doctor to record each lesion's exact dimensions and shape (40 mm ring with central abrasion, 2 to 3 cm geometric bruises, parallel tramlines with pale centre, circular burn, shrapnel peppering and colour of extracted fragments), hearing or psychological symptoms, and the number of days of ITT (total incapacity for work, including for unemployed people, students or minors).²

Collecting and photographing debris safely

Munition remnants (GENL rubber pellets, LBD bullets, red GM2L shards, GL-304 rubber fragments, casings bearing a batch number) are key physical evidence to identify the weapon and firing unit.¹²

1. Never touch an unexploded or burning munition. If an intact grenade is on the ground, move away immediately and warn everyone nearby. Wait until a tear-gas puck has completely cooled before handling it (risk of severe burns).⁴¹⁴
2. Photograph the debris in place before moving it. First take a wide shot showing the exact location (street corner, shopfront, street furniture), then a close-up with a ruler, coin or key next to it for scale.²²⁵
3. Frame the markings and batch numbers. Take sharp photos of all printed or stamped markings on the cylinder body, base or spoon (SAE, Alsetex, Nobel Sport, Condor, GL-304, GM2L, GENL, EF-SON, 40 mm or 56 mm calibre, batch number and date).¹¹³
4. Keep cooled debris and clothing. Place cooled shards, pellets or casings in a clean bag noting the exact time and place they were found. Also keep torn, melted or blood-stained clothes unwashed in a paper bag, and hand them to your lawyer, a legal team or the collective Désarmons-les.²¹²

First aid at protests · Document injuries and file a complaint · Injured and killed at protests

In one of these situations? injured · witness to police violence · a lawyer, healthcare worker or developer

Sources

Each note links to the source of the information. Most sources are in French. Laws change: check the date of the source and, if in doubt, ask a lawyer.

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1. Désarmons-les — Overview of policing weapons (in French) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

2. LDH — Que faire face aux violences policières ? (April 2026) · AI-sourced on Oct 28, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

3. French Red Cross — L'hémorragie · AI-sourced on Oct 28, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩

4. Street medics — Les gestes à adopter en manif (booklet) · AI-sourced on Oct 28, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩↩↩

5. Désarmons-les — Policing weapons update: baton stocks, armoured vehicles and water cannons (2024, in French) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩

6. Wikipedia (FR) — Defense ball launcher (LBD 40×46) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩

7. Wikipedia (FR) — Sting-ball grenade (GMD / GENL) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩

8. Désarmons-les — Policing weapons update: offensive grenades, GM2L, GL-304, ASSD and GENL (2024, in French) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

9. Wikipedia (FR) — Dual-effect modular grenade (GM2L) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩

10. Pourquoi Docteur — Bourdonnements d'oreille : quand consulter · AI-sourced on Oct 28, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩

11. Internal Security Code, articles R211-18 to R211-21 and D211-17 — Use of force and policing weapons (in French) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩

12. Désarmons-les — Lists of people killed and maimed by police forces · AI-sourced on Oct 28, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩

13. Désarmons-les — Millions for repression: public weapons procurement (LBD, Cougar, Cobra, GM2L, GENL, GL-304, ASSD, in French) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩↩↩↩↩

14. French Red Cross — Que faire en cas de brûlure ? · AI-sourced on Oct 28, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩

15. Wikipedia (French) — Death of Zineb Redouane · AI-sourced on Oct 28, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩

16. Tendance Ouest — The Défenseur des droits calls for suspending LBDs · AI-sourced on Oct 28, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩

17. Public Sénat — Yellow vests: more than 13,000 LBD shots · AI-sourced on Oct 28, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩

18. Maintiendelordre.fr — LBD 40 mm GL-06 (Brüger & Thomet, in French) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩

19. Maintiendelordre.fr — GENL sting-ball grenade (in French) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩

20. Public Sénat — Castaner announces the symbolic withdrawal of a controversial grenade · AI-sourced on Oct 28, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩

21. Maintiendelordre.fr — GM2L grenade (Alsetex SAE 820, in French) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩

22. franceinfo — Hand blown off by a grenade near a Lens high school: IGPN investigation · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩↩

23. Maintiendelordre.fr — GL-304 grenade (Condor, in French) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩

24. Maintiendelordre.fr — EF-SON grenade (Alsetex, in French) · AI-sourced on Oct 29, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩

25. WITNESS — Video as Evidence Field Guide · AI-sourced on Oct 28, 2026 · awaiting human check ↩