Don't Put Your Faith in Pepper Spray!

By: Mike Daniel

Making good decisions and identifying danger at a distance—situational awareness—are crucial skills. The value of actually hitting one’s target is clear when the article states: “Our goal is to hit the bad guy’s eyes to disable him long enough for us to get to safety.”

You don’t say.

Understanding the Limits of Less-Lethal Options

Implicit in that goal is a surprising notion: the desire not to severely injure someone trying to harm you. This expectation can be likened to Joe Biden’s advice to shoot armed attackers in the leg, believing it would instantly neutralize the threat. Unfortunately, this isn’t how it works.

Taking a class on using pepper spray might feel like learning how to apply shampoo. Learning to keep it out of one’s eyes would undoubtedly be a major topic.

This brings back memories from my police days when I developed the Sober Police Officer In Training (SPOIT) rule. Based on decades of experience, this rule observes that techniques and less-lethal weapons that seem effective in controlled environments often fail in real life. These methods are deemed “less lethal” because police now understand that weapons such as batons, Tasers, and even pepper spray, can be deadly.

The Issue with Controlled Training Environments

These weapons work well in SPOIT conditions. Officers in training don’t want to get injured. As a result, they don’t apply full force, knowing that they may face the same during their turn. Moreover, injuring fellow officers is frowned upon. However, criminals filled with rage or drugs react differently.

During my police career, I carried pepper spray but rarely used it. Every officer knows that using it will likely affect everyone in the vicinity, including themselves. Imagine grappling with a criminal while everyone’s eyes are stinging, noses are running, and sneezing is rampant. Afterward, you'll need a shower, a fresh uniform, and a long cleaning process for your gear.

The Reality of Law Enforcement Protection

It's vital to understand that police have no legal obligation to protect citizens. They also cannot be sued for failing to do so. While officers aim to catch criminals in the act, that scenario rarely happens. The old saying holds true: “When seconds count, the police are minutes away”—and in some cases, even hours.

The Role of Martial Arts

Martial arts can be beneficial. They promote confidence, alertness, skills, coordination, and situational awareness. However, they can offer limited protection for women against most men, particularly those with bad intentions. Movies where smaller women defeat multiple attackers are just choreography. A 5’4” female black belt may seem formidable against a 6’ male, but betting one’s life on this is ill-advised.

Limitations of Self-Defense Tools

Pepper spray can work—sometimes—but it has significant limitations. It performs poorly in wind or rain, and its effective range is limited. Women, especially, should stay as far from attackers as possible. Getting within grappling range can be deadly. While some might be momentarily deterred by pepper spray, many are merely annoyed. Often, these individuals become angrier and more determined to harm their selected victims.

What about knives? Knife fighting is a skill of its own, and police practice the Tueller Drill. It demonstrates that an average person with a knife can cover a minimum of 21 feet to stab an officer before the officer can even draw their weapon. Knives are not a reliable option for most women. They require close proximity to an attacker, strength, skill, and speed. Unfortunately, the effective range of pepper spray puts users within that 21-foot danger zone.

Importance of Situational Awareness

Any legitimate martial art teaches that avoiding a fight is always the best option. This is where situational awareness is crucial. It’s the practiced ability to remain outside the bubble that many people inhabit. It involves being aware of your surroundings so you can avoid confrontation or, if unavoidable, position yourself tactically.

A woman who is caught off-guard will likely find herself within grappling distance. Even if she manages to grasp, orient, and spray, hitting the target in the eyes doesn't guarantee safety. Most attackers aren’t easily deterred and will remain focused on harming their victim.

Exploring Alternative Options

Some companies market pepper ball guns, which can extend the effective range. However, why carry something that resembles a handgun if its effects are so uncertain?

Those who acknowledge the existence of evil must understand that they may need to confront it at any time and place. Stopping evil requires more than the naïveté of inflicting minor harm while one is on the verge of death. There’s no virtue in being seriously injured or killed because you underestimated a threat.

The Case for Firearms

The obvious solution is to develop situational awareness and carry a reliable handgun. Being trained and knowledgeable about self-defense laws is essential. These laws fluctuate slightly from place to place, but generally, a person can use deadly force if they genuinely believe they face an imminent threat. This belief allows them to react before the first blow lands. Stopping the attack is the goal, not the death of the assailant.

The fundamental concern with less-lethal options is that they can indeed kill. Many people have died from a Taser jolt, pepper spray, or baton blows to vulnerable areas. However, these weapons often can’t be relied upon to stop an attacker. Until we innovate weaponry akin to “stun” settings from sci-fi, the handgun remains the most effective self-defense option. It gives women equal footing with men.

Police carry pepper spray and Tasers, yet they know that these options may require an immediate switch to their firearms. No one, especially women, should overlook this reality.

Final Thoughts

Are pepper spray and related classes pointless? Not at all. They can be useful; however, people must not be misled into believing they are universally effective during a deadly encounter. Don’t Put Your Faith in Pepper Spray!