Bear Spray anyone?

[Guest]

This weekend I was called to a fight between two male juvenilles approx. 16-17 YOA. There friends were gathered around and became hostile toward me for trying to break them up.. I called for LE back up. and tried unsuccesfully to physically separate the two. I used my mace brand pepper spray on one of the fighters emptying all 18 grams into his eyes and I gave him a little for his nose too. He got very angry and started pounding his fists on the hood of my patrol vehicle denting it quite impressively for someone in that much pain. . At this point the other fighter and his friends left and the angry's guys two friends assumed aggressive fighting stances toward me. I raised my empty mace can toward there face and this kept them at bay (they didn't know it was empty). They stood there trying to get me to fight them. And the angry guy continued slamming on the hood of my car. Shortly thereafter another SO arrived and they split.

This situation has got me thinking for the whole weekend. One way I came up with to disperse angry combatants should this happen again is Bear Spray. check it out http://www.counterassault.com/

It has 290 grams of pepper, the strongest around, a 9.5 second magnum fog burst. Sounds like it would do the trick to me. Suitable for humans and bears. My employer lets us choose our brand. Anyone have experience with Bear Spray?

[Tennsix]

[Mr. Security]

Me to. That's like jumping into the middle of a dogfight. By the way, how come the guy with the face full of pepper spray got away once back up arrived? He probably couldn't run too fast with his eyes closed.

[HotelSecurity]

Did you see the demonstation in Vancouver about 5 years ago. A Sgt. from the RCMP dispursed a crowd of protesters using pepper spray. It was in a 10 lbs fire extinguisher. It sure holds a lot. (He became known as Sgt. Pepper in all the newspapers ). And again it's really bad that private citizens including security are not allowed to use pepper spray in Canada. We are allowed to possess it but I would have a hard time explaining why I had a can of bear spray in dowtown Montreal!

[N. A. Corbier]

Read the ingredients of Bear Spray before you purchase it!

I went down to my local retail outdoor store, and noticed they were selling "Guard Alaska" defense spray, the MK 9 Magnum Can. Anything over 60 grams is illegal in Wisconsin to possess, and California makes it 2.5 ounces or more illegal to possess.

Most "Bear Spray" is doctored with toxic chemicals to prevent the reasonable man from using it on his fellow man. You can blind, injure, or even kill a man with a can of Guard Alaska. Its pepper plus a doping agent.

Much like drinking denatured alcohol can kill you because its not "drinking alcohol," Bear Spray is not for humans.

[bigdog]

I suggest using a stronger brand such as sabre or fox. Mace international has a low capsinoid level

[Taser]

I suggest using a stronger brand such as sabre or fox. Mace international has a low capsinoid level

Ditto on Sabre! I use Sabre Red, 10% OC, 1.33% CSCN. It's also H2O series, so I won't catch someone on fire if I spray them and then tase them (though it would be very unlikely that I'd do that). Sabre Red is the most potent pepper spray I have ever seen. It really puts people down. I carry one MK4 can on my belt and another in my gear bag.

[Guest]

Mayor must be kidding. I don't think that even he can be serious about using bear spray on people!

[Taser]

Mayor must be kidding. I don't think that even he can be serious about using bear spray on people!

He does like to kid...

[davis002]

He does like to kid...

want to know the scary part? he isn't kidding...

[talon]

All jokes aside....

All joking aside...DO NOT EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT LIFE OR DEATH SPRAY ANYONE WITH BEAR SPRAY...I can't imagine any circumstance except deadly force that the use of that stuff could be justified.

[bigdog]

Ditto on Sabre! I use Sabre Red, 10% OC, 1.33% CSCN. It's also H2O series, so I won't catch someone on fire if I spray them and then tase them (though it would be very unlikely that I'd do that). Sabre Red is the most potent pepper spray I have ever seen. It really puts people down. I carry one MK4 can on my belt and another in my gear bag.

I carry the H2o cause both my agency and the police both carry taser. I dont want to take the chance of a fellow security officer or cop lighting him on fire with taser. just to let you know the water based doesnt affect the eyes as much as the alcohol based at least that is what ive been told.

[Mr. Security]

All joking aside...DO NOT EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT LIFE OR DEATH SPRAY ANYONE WITH BEAR SPRAY...I can't imagine any circumstance except deadly force that the use of that stuff could be justified.

Especially 'Smokey bears.'

[Taser]

I carry the H2o cause both my agency and the police both carry taser. I dont want to take the chance of a fellow security officer or cop lighting him on fire with taser. just to let you know the water based doesnt affect the eyes as much as the alcohol based at least that is what ive been told.

Oh I've used it though and it seems to be plenty hot enough to put people down, water or not. I've never been sprayed by H2O pepper spray, so I can't say whether or not it affects me the same way or worse or less, but the times I've deployed it, it has worked.

[Guest]

Thanks for the replys.
Mr. Security, they just walked off and we didn't chase them.
Tennsix, good point about the officer safety. But my concern was that this fight was ongoing and if my employer's employer where to be sued and it was found out that securiy was summoned but didn't do anything...you see where that goes (vicarious liabilty).

So Sabre Red sounds pretty good. It doesn't come in cans as big as the counterassualt bear spray though. It says on the counterassualt site that it is effective on humans. But I guess it is not safe for use on them?

I'll get some of that Sabre Red, just wish it came in bigger cans.