OK: Pepper Spray Navy Recruits … Not OK: Waterboarding Terrorist Murderers at Pat Dollard

OK: Pepper Spray Navy Recruits … Not OK: Waterboarding Terrorist Murderers

March 17th, 2009 (9) Posted By Pat Dollard.

Federal Judge OKs Navy Blasting Recruits in the Eyes With Pepper Spray During Training

A federal judge reportedly has given the Navy the green light to blast recruits in the eyes with pepper spray during training even though the practice is banned during warfare by international law.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon dismissed a lawsuit brought by Naval police officers trying to stop the direct use of the spray on trainees, according to the Legal Times and other reports.

The officers argued that spraying pepper directly on the eyes is dangerous and violated recruitsâ€™ constitutional rights, the Times reported.

They proposed the Navy use safer methods in training, such as smearing a small amount of spray below the eyes or having recruits walk through a room that had been sprayed.

Pepper spray can cause problems ranging from swelling and blisters to respiratory problems and, in rare occasions, death.

But though the direct use of pepper spray “indisputably risks injury,” Leon wrote in his Friday decision, “the agency decided that this risk was offset by the benefits of training.”

He added that the officers’ constitutional arguments could not stand, as trainees were being treated equally and the practices did not “shock the conscience,” as is standard for a substantive due process claim, according to the Times.

Pepper spray is also commonly used in police training.

Click here to read more on this story from the Blog of Legal Times.

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Mike Swann

Funny how “Robocop” was so prophetic.
Scott

Whoever brought the lawsuit is an idiot. It is established practice by all Law Enforcement agencies to pepper spray officers who will be carrying it themselves. If you don’t want to be sprayed don’t go into Law Enforcement. I’ve seen dozens of people get sprayed, and while it’s not a pleasant experience to say the least I’ve never seen any complications from it. And its sprayed above the eyes not into them (unless its a mist or foam neither of which the military uses to my knowledge)
http://www.wholewheatbagel.com/ Steve

Uhhh…

I’m so effing glad the practice is banned during warfare by international law.

You know, we had to go through the gas chamber during boot camp and also while in the fleet. Clears the sinuses.

Isn’t it great that our once great military is, more and more, being infiltrated by pussies?

mikeindallas

Yep, I loved the chamber. Especially seeing your buddies with snot hanging out of their face LOL.

I thought I had made it through because I had been holding my breath but the Petty Officer in the chamber decided to delay my departure and gave a speech about something or another and so when I couldn’t hold my breath anymore, I took in a HUGE lung full of that crap haha. I learned my leasson that cold ass morning in Great Lakes, IL.

http://www.killingjanefonda.com cllucas

ok-not to take up for the pussies, but what the hell is the purpose of the pepper spray? Is the pepper spray taking the place of CS gas? If so, then fine….but pepper spray for the hell of it? I avoided the gas chamber for 15 years then got it once I switched to the AF. In the Navy, the chamber day got canxed for rain or something another-
RustyB

I’m a retired Police Officer and instructor. There are several reasons why we required Officers actually sprayed before they could be certified to carry and use the spray themselves. First reason is to show the Officers how effective the spray can be when used right. The second is decontamination procedure used to get the spray out of your eyes and skin. I was the first officer in my department front and center to be sprayed.

I have used peper spray criminals that would normally take four officers to arrest. There is no doubt in my mind that peperspray keep injuries down on both Officers and criminals.
GF

Hell, I did the CS chamber(tear gas) in Marine JROTC. What the hell kind of pussies are these guys.

BradW (the Infidel)

Not only did I go through the gas chamber 3 times in basic in Diego, but every 6 months while in the FMF. Yes, it does a great job of cleaning the sinuses, for my entire active duty time, I never had a sinus infection, and it got to the point where many of us spent enough time in the CS that all it did was drain the sinuses, make our eyes water, but we could actually function pretty well in it.

It is like drinking, the more exposure, the more tolerance, and in the case of CS, we all thought that if we could handle it, if we got gassed in time of war, the other side would be in for a surprise for finding us snorting the shit with glee, and ready for a fight without the reduced ability of wearing a gas mask.

I actually miss going through the stuff, and would be willing to pay annually to do so.

Rich

CS in no way compares to OC. OC is the devil’s piss, no doubt about it. CS goes away the second you leave the chamber, OC stays with you for hours after the initial spray, and look out when you take a shower later .

Regardless of how much it sucks, I think it is a valuable less than lethal tool. More service members should be trained to use it, and proper training requires being exposed to it as well.