chemicalagentsguide.docx

chemicalagentsguide.docx

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chemicalagentsguide

AnActivist'sGuidetoPoliceChemicalWeapons

Chemicalweaponsusedbypolice,howtheywork,

howyoucanprepare,andwhattodoifexposed…

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ANACTIVIST'SGUIDETOPOLICECHEMICALWEAPONS

Mostofusgotoprotestshopingthatthingswillgopeacefully,andindeed,manyofushavegonetomanyprotestsandhavehadlittleexposuretopoliceviolenceorchemicalweapons.Butjustbecauseyou'vehadgoodexperiencesinthepastdoesn'tmeanyoushouldnaivelyassumeallactionswillgosowell.Indeed,manypeoplehavestoriestotellofperfectlypeacefulactionsthatweremetwithpolicerepression.

Modernpolicetacticsemphasizetheuseof"less-lethal"weaponsratherthanthedirectapplicationofforcethroughtruncheonsandbullets.Amongthemostpopulartoolsinthisclassofweaponsarechemicalagentslikepeppersprayandteargas.Whilepromotedasbeingvirtuallyharmless,thesechemicalscanactuallybequitedangerous,butwiththeproperknowledgeandpreparation,manyoftheireffectscanbeavoided.

Thisguidewillhelpprovideyouwithbasicknowledgeonsomeofthechemicalweaponsusedbypolice,howyoucanprepareforsituationswheretheseweaponsmaybeused,andhowtorespondifexposedtochemicalagents.

CHEMICALAGENTSUSEDBYPOLICE:

Whatarethey,howdotheywork,andwhenaretheyused?

ANIMPORTANTNOTEABOUTPOLICECHEMICALWEAPONS:

Beforepoliceusechemicalweapons,mostpolicedepartments,aspartoftheir"continuumofforce"guidelines,requireofficerstoissueawarningorordertodispersesbeforeusingchemicalweapons.Notonlyisthiswarningausefulsignthatyoushouldprepareyourselfforapotentialexposure,butalsonotethelackofawarning…thiscanbeusefulinanycomplaintagainstthepolicedepartment.

OC（“PepperSpray”）

Whatisit?

OC（oleoresincapsicum）isaconcentratedextractfromhotpeppers,henceitscommonnameof“PepperSpray.”FrequentlyOCismixedwithwaterand/orothersolventstoallowittobedispensedfromaerosolsprayers.

Whatdoesitdo?

OCisanirritant.Muchlikespicyfoodscreateaburningsensationonyourtongue,OCwilldothesame—buttoyoureyes,throat,nose,andskin.OCisasuperconcentratedformofthesamestuffthatmakesapepperseem“spicy.”Whilegenerallymeanttosubduethosewhoareexposed,theshock,pain,anddisorientationresultingfromOCcanactuallymakepeoplereactviolently.

PoliceandpepperspraymanufacturersfrequentlytoutOCasbeing“safe”,butinreality,itisfarfrombeingsafe.AUSArmystudynoted“possiblemutageniceffects,carcinogeniceffects,sensitization,cardiovascularandpulmonarytoxicity,neurotoxicity,aswellaspossiblehumanfatalities.”OCcantriggersevereallergicreactionsinsomepersons,andcanalsocausedangerousaggravationsofrespiratoryproblemssuchasasthma.Notably,aspeppergasisaplanttoxin,itsuseinwarfareisprohibitedbythe1972BiologicalWeaponsConvention—butinternationallawsgoverningchemicalandbiologicalweaponsdonotapplytousageindomesticnon-warconflicts,allowingpolicetofreelyusetheseweaponsinlawenforcementandcrowdcontrolsituations.

Whenisitused?

OCisthemostcommonlyavailableandfrequentlyusedchemicalweaponusedbypoliceandsecuritypersonnel.Itisintendedforuseinsituationswheretheuseoflethalforceormoredirectphysicalviolence（suchasstrikingwithabaton）couldbeconsideredexcessiveorinappropriate,suchasagainstunrulybutunarmedsuspects.Incrowdcontrolsituations,OCisoftenusedasanagenttoencouragecrowddispersal.PoliceareoftensubjectedtoacontrolledexposuretoOCaspartoftheirtraining,buteventhoughtheyknowsomeofitseffectsfirst-hand,therearecountlessstoriesofpolicemisusingOC.

Howisitused?

Innormalpatrolduties,policeofficersgenerallycarrysmallaerosolcansofOCSprayintheirequipmentbelts,whichcanbeusedforself-defensesituations.Whenusedincrowdcontrol,generallypoliceuselargeraerosolsprayersorfoggersthatresemblefireextinguishers.SomeOCpowderscanbemixedintosolutionsthatcanbesprayedfrommuchlargerdispenserssuchasfire-trucknozzles.

OClessfrequentlycanbeseenusedincanisters/grenadesthatexplodeanddisperseacloudofOCagent,orin“pepperpowder”roundsfiredfromapaintballgun.Thepepperpowderisapastedesignedtosticktotheclothingandskinofthosewhoarehit.

WhenshouldOCnotbeused?

OCshouldonlybeusedinthequantitynecessarytoachievethedesiredresult.Oftenthatmeansoneortwosmallsquirtsshouldbesufficient.Oftenthough,particularlyincrowdcontrolsituations,policeuseverylargequantitiesofOC.OCalsoisnotintendedforuse