What is Pepper Spray?

What is Pepper Spray ?

OC is a derivative of HOT CAYENNE PEPPERS and is the newest defensive spray agent. It is not an irritant like the tear gases, but an inflammatory agent. Contact with mucous membranes (eyes, nose, throat and lungs) will cause IMMEDIATE dilation of the capillaries of the eyes, resulting in TEMPORARY BLINDNESS and instant inflammation of the breathing tube tissues, cutting off ALL BUT LIFE – SUPPORT BREATHING. OC will not deteriorate with age and unlike the tear gasses, WILL NOT CAUSE LASTING AFTER EFFECTS.
One of the biggest misconceptions about pepper spray is that the higher the percentage, the hotter and better it works. In most cases this could not be further from the truth. Most of the best, fastest incapacitating sprays in the world are from 2%-10%. The lighter the fluid, the faster it penetrates the membranes. The percentage has nothing to do with the actual SHU or "hot" in the spray. Also, thicker sprays can inflame the skin area more and last longer with this unnecessary inflammation. A good spray will put the attacker down and out allowing you to escape or take control of the situation.
OC has proven itself to be the ABSOLUTE BEST DETERRENT available for attacking dogs and wild animal control. Another advantage of OC is that it is not volatile and will not emit a lot of fumes like tear gases.
The term OC ( oleoresin capsicum ) is a horticultural term which refers to chili peppers. There are many different kinds of chili peppers ranging from jalapenos, chiletpin, and cayenne to habaneros. They all have one thing in common. They all contain a substance that is very powerful an alkaloid called capsaicin ( cap-say-a-sin ). Just a single drop of tasteless and odorless capsaicin in 100,000 drops of water and the heat can be noticeable. In fact, capsaicin can be detected by humans at one part per ten million!
Capsaicinoids are produced by a gland in the pepper’s placenta, which is the top partition just below the stem. This is also where the seeds are attached. The placenta is about 16 times stronger than any other part of the plant, any OC spray worth its salt will use its active ingredient made from this part.
Back in 1912, a pharmacologist named Wilbur Scoville came up with the standard for measuring the power of capsaicin. Called the Scoville Organoleptic Test, it was needed to calculate the temperature of peppers used in many pharmaceutical products of the time ( such as "Heet" which was used for the relief of sore muscles, arthritis pain and muscular sprains). Scoville measured the ground pepper into a mixture of sugar, water and alcohol. Then, a panel of five tasters sipped the mixture and gave it a grade; it took a majority of three to assign a value.
Today, the value is established through high technology, a computerized method called high-performance liquid chromatography. The pepper scale ranges from zero Scoville unit for a bell pepper to 5,000 or so for a jalapeno to a whopping 200,00-300,000 for a habanero! Pure capaicin is 15,000,000.

Liquor Store owner Pepper Sprays thief

An 18-year-old Lakewood man was arrested for suspicion of aggravated robbery, criminal mischief and unlawful acts after allegedly trying to steal two bottles of vodka from Parti Tyme Liquors, 1608 W. 92nd Ave. in Federal Heights, at 8:43 p.m. Oct. 27. According to the report, the owners magnetically locked the door when they thought the 18-year-old was trying to leave the store with the vodka. The 18-year-old then allegedly threatened to kill the two owners if they didn't let him leave, and punched the front glass door to try to get out, which shattered the door. The owners then pepper sprayed the 18-year-old with mace. Two other unidentified males then tried to get the 18-year-old, one allegedly brandishing a gun. They fled in a brown Jeep Cherokee. The man was taken to St. Anthony North Hospital before going to Federal Heights Police Department, where he allegedly refused to the name the other two males. Cost of the two bottles of vodka is $20. Cost to replace the glass door is $550.
Pepper Spray Inc.

Clerk saves her life against attacker with pepper spray

PITTSBURGH -- Police in Beechview are investigating a robbery attempt Friday morning
.According to police, a man walked into the Dollar Eagle discount store on Broadway Avenue and tried to rob the clerk.A scuffle ensued with the female clerk, who used pepper spray, police said
According to police, the man fled the scene. A blood trail led police to the corner of the street, where they believe he got into a vehicle
Police said the female clerk suffered serious injuries to her face and was transported to Mercy Hospital. According to police, she was so badly injured that she couldn't give a good description of the robber.
Pepper Spray Inc.

Trooper Kills Man Who Fled, Used Pepper Spray

CONOVER, N.C. — A state trooper is on administrative leave after authorities said he fatally shot a man who used pepper spray while fleeing the officer.

The Highway Patrol told the Charlotte Observer that trooper J.D. Connors killed 30-year-old Derek Neal Bowman late Thursday night. Authorities said Connors had pulled over Bowman's truck and found a bottle filled with a white substance.

Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Everett Clendenin said Bowman fled when Connors tried to arrest him. He said Connors later tried to use pepper spray to subdue the man but that Bowman grabbed the spray and used it on the trooper.

Clendenin said Connors then fired at Bowman and killed him.

The 26-year-old trooper has been put on administrative leave with pay while the SBI reviews the shooting.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Chicago woman wards off attack by using pepper spray

A woman who was attacked as she got out of a cab early Monday morning said her pepper spray saved her from further harm.
Chicago police said they were looking for a man in connection with the attempted sexual assault of a woman in the Lakeview area early Monday morning. The attacker was described as a male white Hispanic, between 25 and 30 years old with short hair combed back and a medium complexion.
NBC5's Anna Davlantes reported that the victim, identified as "Elizabeth," spoke out about the incident, she said in the hopes it would help others. The victim said she used pepper spray to fend off the attacker."I'm like, 'Oh my God!,'" she said. "I start spraying my mace everywhere and he just takes off. So, luckily, thank God, I had that in my hand."
According to an alert from Belmont Area detectives, the woman was walking to her home in the 500 block of West Briar Place about 2 a.m. when a man threw her to the ground and tried to sexually assault her.Elizabeth showed the scrapes and cuts she received after being thrown to the ground by the attacker, but said she knew it could have been much worse.The victim said she left her job at a bar at 2 a.m., got in a cab, and when it pulled away, the man attacked her."He came out of nowhere," Elizabeth said. "All of the sudden, I'm attacked from behind and pushed down."Police said it has been a long time since they have heard of a victim fending off an attack using pepper spray."She was very courageous, and I give her a lot of credit for doing that," said Chicago police Sgt. Debra DeYoung.Elizabeth urged everyone to buy a can of pepper spray and have it at the ready."Go and buy mace," she said. "When you have it, and you get out and you know you're going to be outside alone, physically have it in your hand ready. Because if I hadn't had it ready, it would have been in my bag --what's the use of having it?"
Davlantes reported that police said they hoped someone would have information on the case. There have been attacks in the area with a similar description, but currently, there wasn't enough information to link them.Anyone with information is asked to contact Belmont Area detectives at 312-744-8261.
Pepper Spray Inc.

Police look for 'cowards' who pepper-sprayed couple

An elderly Lambton couple was peppered sprayed in what police describe as a "cowardly act" of road rage - the second suspected pepper spraying incident in two weeks.

"I don't know how someone could do something like that," said Sharon, 67, one of the victims.

The incident occurred at about midnight Friday, when Sharon was driving home on Highway 40 with her 70-year-old husband, Ted.

During the drive, a car erratically approached from behind and started flashing its lights, police said.

Eventually, Sharon pulled into a driveway just east of the highway hoping the men would leave them alone.

Instead, the men pulled up behind the couple and approached the car. When Sharon opened her window to confront the men, she was pepper-sprayed in the face.

"It's a cowardly, heinous act," said Lambton OPP Const. John Reurink.

"To do something like that is unconscionable and hopefully it will anger the public and they'll contact us."

Pepper Spray Inc.

Pepper Spray saves student

A student under attack relied on her wits and pepper spray to escape serious harm. Early Sunday morning, a 21-year-old student said she was attacked in the Fort Sanders neighborhood.

She has since gone home to Nashville with her parents. She asked 10 News not to use her name.

It wasn't long before the attack that the victim began thinking about being prepared to protect herself.

"It was kind of ironic that we had this whole conversation about the pepper spray right before I needed to use it," she said.

The UT student and some friends were chatting about pepper spray as they walked home from a friend's house about 2:30 Sunday morning. She said they headed different directions about 2 blocks from her home.

"I've had the pepper spray since last year when my boyfriend bought it for me after the Channon Christian tragedy," she said.

Channon Christian and Chris Newsom were killed after a car-jacking in Knoxville last January.

This weekend, the UT student said she was very aware of her surroundings as she walked toward home. She noticed a slow moving maroon Pontiac with two men in it.

"They turned around and started driving the wrong way on the one way street, and then I immediately knew they were coming after me," she said.

She ran and tried to hide on a porch. She said the car passenger chased her and cornered her on the porch.

"And I said, 'Don't get any closer. I have pepper spray and i will spray you. Get away from me,'" she told 10 News.

She said he hit her with a rod of some sort, grabbed her by the hair, and yanked her down the porch steps.

"He was dragging me, so I don't even want to think about what would have happened if I hadn't had my pepper spray."

The man ran after she sprayed him.

The victim suffered some minor bruises. Knoxville police are investigating the case as an aggravated assault.

"We'll look at the forensic evidence, and we'll look at the interviews and any kind of composite we get back from the victim and go from there," said Captain Gary Holliday with KPD.

The victim's father sent a letter to Knoxville's police chief, UT police, and Knoxville's mayor. The letter said investigators overlooked evidence at the crime scene and characterized the police response as "ineffective."

Police said they collected the evidence, and it is part of their investigation.

Police are waiting for the victim to return from Nashville to work with a sketch artist to develop a suspect composite.

The victim said she intends to return to class later this week. She said it won't be easy.

"I'm going to be afraid about walking to class even in the broad daylight.

Pepper Spray Inc.