A First Order riot shield
A riot shield was a kind of physical shield held in the hand, or a personal deflector shield that was also hand-carried. Its main users were security forces, law enforcement, and also military personnel. The main function of the riot shield was to give protection to the person holding it from minor attacks during crowd-control situations handled by law enforcement, although they sometimes saw use in actual combat.
One illustration of a riot shield being implemented in a military context occurred at the Citadel prison during the time of the Clone Wars. In this instance, the droid commandos guarding the prison were equipped with riot shields during the Battle of Lola Sayu. The clone trooper known as Echo made an attempt to employ a riot shield to stop the droid commandos from destroying the Republic squad's getaway transport during the conflict. However, the riot shield proved ineffective against the laser turret, and he almost died in the subsequent explosion.
Even though they were rare in full-scale engagements, riot shields were frequently issued to individuals in security roles. During the Clone Wars era, the clone riot troopers belonging to the Galactic Republic's Coruscant Guard and the soldiers of the Separatists' Commando Droids were provided with these shields to support them in their responsibilities. Riot Control Stormtroopers along with Shield Troopers within the Galactic Empire often made use of Riot Shields. Following the Galactic Empire's collapse, at least one of its remaining groups was known to give riot shields to its Imperial Armored Commandos.