What Is LRAD? The “Sound Cannon” Used by Police Explained

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(Shay Horse/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
(Shay Horse/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

June 10, 2020 | Originally published by Digital Trends on June 5, 2020

As protests in response to the police killing of George Floyd continue to roil the country, Twitter has been abuzz lately with reports that police departments are bringing LRAD (long-range acoustic device) systems with them as part of their response.

Genasys Inc. (formerly the LRAD Corporation), which produces LRAD devices, announced in a press release Thursday that police departments in Portland, OR; San Jose, CA; Colorado Springs, CO; Phoenix, AZ; Columbus, OH; Charleston, SC; Fort Lauderdale, FL; and other cities used LRAD systems to communicate unlawful assembly and other orders to crowds after recent protests turned violent.

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