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Pepper Spray Unsafe?
Loaded on Oct. 15, 1996
published in Prison Legal News
October, 1996, page 17
COPWATCH, a citizens' group in Berkeley, CA, has noted an increase of in-custody deaths, and has pointed to pepper spray as possibly causing or contributing to those deaths. According to Berkeley Police Department Captain Doran, however, police officials consider pepper spray a safe alternative to firearms and an indispensable tool …
Filed under:
Police Misconduct,
Pepper Spray/Tear Gas,
Immunity/Liability,
Product Liability.
Location:
California.
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More from this issue:
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- Prisoners May Be Allowed to Lead Religious Services
- From the Editor, by Dan Pens
- The "Honorable Men" Defense, by Mumia Abu-Jamal
- Plaintiff Entitled to Respond to Qualified Immunity Defense
- Alleged Work Refusal Requires Trial
- Unrest in South American Prisons
- Less than Lethal Force Liability
- Smoke and Mirrors
- A Matter of Fact
- Correction
- Cause of Action Accrues on Disciplinary Reversal
- Prisoner Testimony Must Be Considered in Spears Hearing
- Texas Parole Rules on Litigants and Victim Statements Enjoined
- Extending Release Date Violates Eighth Amendment
- Attorney Fees Awarded for Opposing Motion to Vacate
- Attica: Looking Back 25 Years, by Jaan Laaman
- Jail Guards File Suit
- Fifth Circuit Applies New Standard to Detainee Claims
- MCC Settlement Upheld
- Evidence Required for Disciplinary Sanction, Sandin Questioned
- Pepper Spray Madness, by Lynn Wilson
- Pepper Spray Unsafe?
- Indigents Entitled to Full Credit for Pretrial Detention
- De Novo Review Required of Magistrate's Report
- Texas Shaving Rule Declared Illegal
- Parolee's Jail Rights Discussed
- Missouri Haircut Rule Upheld under RFRA
- No Right to Assistance in Family Law
- Retaliation for Grievance Committee Participation Requires Trial
- PI Granted in Haircut Claim
- Court Responsible for Jury Demand
- Complaint Can't Be Dismissed if Partial Filing Fee Paid
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- Right to Witnesses and Court Access Well Established
- News in Brief
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More from these topics:
- Washington Governor Fires Independent Prison Watchdog, May 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Government Misconduct, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Restraints, Administrative Detention/Segregation.
- The Recycled Police Officer: Research Reveals High Cost of Ignoring Prior Misconduct, May 1, 2026. Harassment by Police, Police Misconduct, Statistics/Trends, Excessive Force (Police), Police/Govt Misconduct.
- $950,000 Settlement Reached for Pennsylvania Jail Detainee Repeatedly Pepper-Sprayed During Mental Health Episodes, April 1, 2026. Clothing, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Chemical Spraying of Mentally Ill Inmates, Deliberate Indifference.
- $667,000 Awarded to Muslim Missouri Prisoners Pepper-Sprayed for Praying, April 1, 2026. Religious Discrimination, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Religious Practices, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Deliberate Indifference.
- Leaked Video Footage Shows California Prison Guards Engaged in Retaliatory Assault, March 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Prison Rape Elimination Act.
- Southern Poverty Law Center Report Shows Culture of Abuse at Florida Prison, March 1, 2026. Failure to Protect (General), Overcrowding, Staffing, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Administrative Detention/Segregation.
- Michigan Claws Back $1.2 Million Paid to Wrongfully Convicted Former Prisoner, Feb. 1, 2026. Police Misconduct, Wrongful Imprisonment, Qualified Immunity, Forensic Sciences, Fabrication of Evidence.
- $404,000 Verdict for Ohio Prisoner Brutalized by Trio of Guards, Kept in Solitary for Two Years, Jan. 1, 2026. Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Retaliatory Segregation, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement.
- Utah Supreme Court Announces Framework for Analyzing Combined Brady and Napue Violations, Affirms Postconviction Relief in Capital Murder Case, Jan. 1, 2026. Police Misconduct, Prosecutor/Attorney General Misconduct, Perjury/Perjured Testimony, Constructive/Imputed/Presumed knowledge, Brady/Giglio/Jencks Act Issues.
- Record $42.75 Million Verdict in Louisiana Detainee’s Death in LaSalle Jail, Dec. 1, 2025. Guard Brutality/Beatings, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Contractor Liability, Failure to Train/Supervise, Deliberate Indifference.

