NCJ Number
146598
Date Published
1993
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This is a Baltimore County (MD) Police Department document for a 3-hour training course on the use of oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray.
Abstract
At the end of the course, officers will understand OC in terms of 1) when it can be used, and how to quickly assess if it should be used; 2) its effectiveness; 3) its psychological and physiological effects on subjects; 4) spraying techniques and tactics, and circumstantial considerations; 5) verbal procedures; 6) decontamination of subjects and areas; 7) first-aid for subjects; 8) officer safety and officer exposure procedures; and 9) reporting procedures. The use of OC is classified as use of force. OC in and of itself is not lethal, but highly incapacitative. Officers must take particular care not to let themselves get exposed to it, or they will become vulnerable to being disarmed, injured, or killed.