Pepper Spray vs. Lethal Force: Is There Any Justification?

Is pepper spray more effective than lethal force? It all depends on how you are facing someone using the less-than-lethal option. Lee Keltner was discharging a riot canister towards Matthew Dolloff when Dolloff fired one bullet, hitting Keltner in his head and killing him. Dolloff was later arrested on the spot and charged with murder. Is this a case that requires a lethal response. It depends. Photo: WikipediaPepper Spray is considered a non-lethal force option. It evolved from police use of force in the early 1990s to its current role, both on police belts as well as in pockets and cars of armed citizens. It is a viable option for anyone who is subject to a criminal attack. However, it doesn’t cause any injuries to the victim. It works quickly for most people and can be used to stop an attack. Why? Why? My first exposure to pepper spray was in a pepper spray instructor class, which I took with the late, great police trainer Ed Nowicki. I have been exposed to pepper spray several times during my instructor certification courses. It’s something I know, and so do many law enforcement officers. They will need to know how pepper spray affects their bodies and whether they can defend themselves against a gun grab attempt. They will need to explain the circumstances surrounding the use deadly force, regardless of whether it was a police officer or private citizen. Caribou Media Group could earn a commission on qualifying purchases. Thank you! All force used to defend life must be proportional to the force used. It doesn’t matter if someone threatens to spray you, but it does not justify shooting them. Instead, there must be facts that support the pepper spray attack and would lead a reasonable person agree to use force to defend life. Did the attacker know that the defender was carrying a gun? He was warned not to spray pepper spray on the attacker, as he would have to shoot and kill the defender if he did. Given the fact that the spray would affect the defender, was there enough of a difference in size to make a physical defense against a gun grabbe unlikely to succeed? Is there more than one attacker who was preparing to attack the defense? And, is the defender familiar enough with pepper spray to understand how it is delivered? The defender was threatened with a small stream of spray, which is often found on key rings and touted as a powerful self-defense spray. Or was he being threatened by a puny stream of spray that is likely to contaminate everyone within a 30-foot radius? You should be trained if you use pepper spray for self-defense. You should be trained if you plan to carry pepper spray as a self-defense tool. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be found in MOA. Perfect for long-range shooting! Get free targets