LTL carry revisted

L

Lurper

New member
In a couple of past threads (that kind of got ugly) many advocated carrying OC as an option to augment their weapon. Some advocates of OC seemed pretty confident that it would stop a confrontation. Here is a video from youtube of OC training for a police academy. This is the worst effects I could find out of an entire series videos on OC. Note how long the OC takes to have enough effect to take the fight out of her. Also note that she completes her tasks in spite of the OC. In a SD situation, you want to remove the threat as quickly as possible - seconds can make the difference between life and death. Would you trust your safety to something that takes so long to effect an assailant?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2ahK42rYRs
 
Several points:
1) Not all sprays are created equal. Choose one of the best sprays and they will perform considerably better than the lower sprays. I have had good results with Punch II while working at the maximum security prison that I used to work at.
2) Sprays do work differently on different people and size and sex does not always dictate.
3) LTL's, such as OC, are used against people who do not have lethal weapons themselves. A person may be able to have limited function after being sprayed, but it is limited and will take full effect pretty quickly. If a person is fighting you, the OC will limit the person's ability to attack you and when the OC takes full effect, they will be unable to fight.

I personally would rather take the chance with OC against an aggressive attacker than to fight or worse, shoot an unarmed person. If it fails to stop the attacker and you have to ultimately shoot the person, it appears much more justified if you can prove that you did everything possible to avoid the shooting. I realize that OC is not perfect, but if you get a good OC and use it the way that it is intended, it serves a very important purpose.
 
Personally, I think it is wrong to kill the horse. I would have sprayed it.

I agree that Lurper seems to have missed the point of the OC argument to say the same old thing.

THOSE CAN BE FOUND WITH THE SEARCH FUNCTION!!
 
Try to remember that the person in the video was a police recruit who was fully expecting to be sprayed and had prepared herself mentally. They also have gone through training regarding the effects of OC and the need to fight through it in case they got hit while using it. OC is generally very effective and should, if at all possible, be a surprise to the target.

Secondly, we should not expect a pistol round to instantly incapacitate a person. It usually does not work that way. You can easily use your weapon and have the perp keep coming for as long or longer than the recruit did with the OC.

Do what you want but my own opinion is that LTL is a very good option for LTL encounters.
 
I am not quite understanding why this had to be revisited. Nobody is forcing you or anyone else for that matter to carry OC spray. If you do not want to carry it don't. That goes for anyone.

The recruit in that video was in training to learn how to deal with the effects of OC. I myself have gone through classes on that subject. In those classes they teach you techneques for dealing with the effects of OC. In most of theses classes such as the one above you have tasks to complete after being sprayed. And in all of these classes you are sprayed many, many times before the final exam which includes a course like the one above.

Again I am going to state that nobody has to carry any LTL. But if you choose too I do not think it is an err on your part. We have had many controversel threads lately and many of them were a powerful advocate for OC spray. Does it work 100% of the time? No. Can you beat the crap out of someone if you are sprayed? Maybe. Does everyone go through police academy training to learn how to deal with the effects of OC spray?
I'll let that one float. If anyone is interested in how well the stuff works, grab a bucket, some Johnsons and Johnsons no tear baby soap and spray yourself.
 
Different strokes for different folks. Having been sprayed and having sprayed someone, I can say from experience that it has it's place in a defensive role. That being said I carry my gun everywhere and my OC most places so go figure. If I had a choice as to which to leave at home it would be the OC, but it usually is with me.

Edit:
Hey 900th post :). Only six months to do it too. I'm an opinionated SOB I guess.
 
Last edited:
While OC doesn't work 100% of the time to stop a threat (neither do bullets), it fits a very useful role in the force. Those who don't want to carry it don't have to and the use of OC in the face of a lethal threat (gun/knife) isn't appropriate. Just remember that there is a huge gray area between the use of words and the use of a gun that OC fits into.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top