Yes, it has been my experience that OC Sprays are less than one hundred percent effective on goal oriented individuals. I myself can fight through the effects of OC Spray enough to continue to be combat effective. OC Spray by itself should never the entire defensive tactics plan. I train my officers that OC Spray should be considered part of an overall plan. OC Spray cannot be counted on to control an aggressive subject, but it can be counted on to in some degree hinder his ability to see, breath and cause him considerable pain. How that effects the attacker will depend on his sensitivity and mindset.still learning said:
That's actually the right way to look at OC Spray, as a distraction tool.kenpotex said:
Hopefully your academy is one that does more than simply expose you to the OC Spray and then have you decontaminate. It is my most profound belief, as a law enforcement trainer in general, and an OC Spray instructor in particular, that any exposure to OC Spray by officers should be coupled with that officer having to perform the task of protecting himself by attacking the attacker and defending his gun. To simply expose a cadet to OC and then say "See, that works doesn't it" is counter-productive. A goal oriented mindset can fight through OC and continue to function. It is that mindset that should be taught to officers. If your academy is the kind that simply sprays you and walks you to the water fountain, at least do yourself the favor of attempting to fight through the effects and walk yourself to water fountain. Even just forcing yourself to open your eyes and walk around experiencing the effects, instead of immediately going for the water, will be valuable training experience. You'll come to understand the term "shutter effect" when it comes to your vision.redfang said:
One of my officers is a former Marine. He said that they were exposed to tear gas every 6 months, and he became pretty used to it. This officer has an extremly adverse reaction to OC and says it's entirely different. I've been exposed to OC numerous times. I once got some residual tear gas exposure, but it wasn't to the level of the 'gas chamger'. It is a different experience.Zepp said:
Animals do not like OC spray any more than humans, it burns the eyes, the nose and makes it difficult to breath. Most animals will remove themselves from the area.rmcrobertson said:
sgtmac_46 said:
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War more warning about bear country. Bear Guard and other bear specific OC products are excellent when sprayed directly on the bear and in his face. Many people mistakenly think that means it is bear repellent, so they spray it around their tents and camps. Ironically bears, while being repelled by direct spraying, are attracted to the scent of OC Spray. If you spray OC around your campsite, it will actually draw bears who view OC spray like cats view catnip. Again, use OC spray for directly defending against bear attacks, it is not, however, bear repellent. A few people have discovered this fact in the middle of the night with a bear rolling around the front of their tent where they sprayed OC earlier in the evening.Tulisan said:
Good point. Waiting until you are actually in contact with someone will likely result in you contaminating yourself as well as the attacker. For my part, this isn't a problem, as residual OC contamination has little effect on me. I've used OC spray numerous times as a grappling tool when struggling with suspects. I usually don't mind how much OC Spray I get on me, as long as I get it on the other guy. That being said, however, I even warn my officers against this. Most people have an extremely adverse reaction to OC Spray, especially the first time they are exposed. You don't want to wait until you are struggling with someone to find out you shut down when exposed to OC Spray.Tgace said:In my experience, people wait until they are "rolling" with a person before they try to use OC. OC is great in LE use when you know somebody is going to resist and can hit em with the stuff to gain compliance. In civilian use its good for when you have the "radar" up and perceive somebody as being a threat. Once you are actually fighting though, the OC isnt going to cause the guy to jump off of you and go rolling around with his hands over his eyes. Better "fight preventer" than "fight stopper" IMO. Effectiveness measurement in OC is in regards to it having an effect on somebody. That "effect" doesnt necessarily mean the guy is going to stop attacking you...
(unless you are trying to stop other people from fighting...spraying the whole lot of em does help break things up.
