Hours before a patchwork federal police force dispersed protesters from the White House with tear gas so Donald Trump could have his picture taken with a bible, the Defense Department's lead military police officer sent out a call for a "heat ray" that could be used to scorch the skin of American citizens.
The weapon, known as an Active Denial System, is a form of directed-energy weapon (or laser weapon), that's seldom been used since its inception more than 20 years ago. But it, and other laser weapons like it, are set to see greater use in the years ahead - though hopefully not domestically.
Indeed, the technology behind these weapons has been around for decades...
The U.S. Army first started developing laser weapons in the early 1960s. By 1962, they were already a $50 million industry.
However, the technology was slow to modernize. By the 1970s, laser weapons were more of a nuisance than a lethal weapon - and an inhumane one at that.
Military researchers around the world developed a laser-based "eye-popper" device that would blind pilots in mid-air.
It was a grim vision, backed by disturbing lab tests that used giant pulse lasers to bring rabbit and monkey eyes to the boiling point, causing them to bleed and even explode.
Development of that weapon extended into the 1980s, ultimately culminating in the so-called C-CLAW (combat laser assault weapon), which could sweep back and forth across a battlefield, blinding anyone who looked at it.
Obviously, the ethics of such a device were dubious and hotly debated. And ultimately, in 1995, the Geneva Conventions were updated to ban the use of blinding laser weapons.
Of course, there is a loophole, in that as long as you don't intentionally aim a laser weapon at an enemy's eyes with the goal of causing permanent damage, they're still fair game.
And so during the invasion of Iraq, the U.S. military legally deployed low-powered dazzler lasers to temporarily incapacitate individuals. These "laser optical incapacitation devices" technically complied with the Geneva Conventions, because the blindness they caused was temporary, not permanent.
The heat ray government shock troops inquired about got its start in the wake of the 1993 gun battle in Mogadishu that killed 19 U.S. soldiers and hundreds of Somalis. That incident led strategists to develop a less deadly option for forces cornered in an urban area.
Thus the ADS heat ray, which uses a microwave beam to make skin feel like it's on fire, was unveiled in 2001.
The device creates heat by pushing energy through a magnetic field. But unlike the kitchen appliance, the weapon generates millimeter waves that only penetrate 1/64th of an inch into the skin. That's enough to hurt like hell but not leave burns.
However, it's not especially effective in a military capacity. It doesn't work well in rain, snow, or dust, and it's difficult to transport.
So, while it was shipped to Afghanistan in 2010, it was recalled within weeks and never used due to logistical, ethical, and safety concerns.
That's why most Americans are only hearing about it now, despite its 20-year existence.
Given its ineffectiveness in combat and the agonizing nature of its application, the ADS heat ray is frequently described as a torture device.
Frankly, it's shameful that anyone in the federal government would consider using a weapon like this against Americans exercising their constitutional rights.
Nevertheless, there is a much clearer role for more effective laser weapons which are being rapidly developed and quickly deployed.