[PatriotReign]

I'm sure most of you have seen the pics/new footage of the CA cop pepper spraying the line of protestors at that college. I am a cop and I think the police screwed up.

The pepper spraying was entirely reasonable given that the protestors sat with arms interlocked. If they resisted empty handed control to seperate and remove them they'd likely claim brutality with the escort holds and various other control methods used to gain compliance.

I have been pepper sprayed during OC training- it burns like hell but it almost always does not leave any lasting injury once you're decontaminated with water. The same can't be said for a shoulder or elbow dislocation, sprains and possibly broken bones inadvertantly suffered when cops try to remove a bunch of people refusing to unlock their arms from one another.

I think the public doesn't realize that the police have the lawful authority to go "one up" on the level of the resistance they are encountering.

Where the cops went wrong is to largely remain silent while the college big shots throw them to the media wolves. They wanted the protestors removed, the cops moved them. Is the college dean an expert in police training? Every PD has rules and regulations- if the OC use was covered in the PD policy how come the ivory tower micro managers didn't change it beforehand if it wasn't to their liking? If it was consistent with policy and training then why are they throwing their cops under the bus?

To the folks who believe the police were wrong I ask you what you would have done? You have a couple dozen protestors with interlocked arms refusing to move despite repeated verbal commands ordering to do so. How to you seperate/move them?