I’ve been an advocate of carrying defensive spray for a while now, because there are plenty of situations where you’re justified in using spray, but are not even close to a deadly force situation. Such a case recently occurred at a Donald Trump rally:
The link above has more video from different angles, including one where she admits she had it coming. She got sprayed as soon as she threw a punch. If one punches a hippie in the face and cause serious injury, the cops might feel they have to do something, even if it’s just questioning to sort out who did what. You’ll notice the cops escorted her out, but didn’t make any arrest. I’m not honestly sure who employed the spray. Defensive spray is a very low level of force, and far less likely to cause long term consequences for either party in an altercation. If you’re in a situation like this where both parties are alleging assault, you’re far less likely to end up in real trouble with spray as you would if you used a higher level of force.
UPDATE: Looks like it wasn’t the guy who was punched who responded with the spray after all. I’ve watched the video from a few angles, and I don’t see where she was justified in throwing the punch, but with the other guy doing it, it’s not as clear cut a case of self-defense. It’s going to be a case of he said she said.
The media, naturally, has this exact same incident headlined “Teenage anti-Trump protester is ‘sexually assaulted’ by one of his supporters and PEPPER SPRAYED at point blank range in shocking attack at a rally caught on video”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3515010/Teen-girl-gets-PEPPER-SPRAYED-Trump-event-asks-pro-Donald-supporter-rally-grown-man.html
I wouldn’t take the DailyMail too seriously. They’re a half a step above the National Enquirer before you take into account that they’re Brits….
Pepper spray obviously has some severe tactical limitations (wind, rain, inside elevators) but I think some gunnies underestimate its punch to weight ratio. Even a huge can of pepper spray is extremely light ; I can slip one into my front pocket with ease when going for a walk.
And I know there are at least some people who claim bear spray is superior to a firearm for defense against a bear. Even if they are wrong would anyone ever even entertain the idea of using any 1 pound firearm for bear defense?
I noticed the majority of mainstream sources are reporting that the girl claims she was “groped” by the guy she punched, before being pepper-sprayed by another guy. I don’t know the alleged time lapse between the alleged groping and the punching.
Not faulting Sebastian, but I’m wondering why neither of the links provided with the story mention the alleged grope, that I could see. I have no way to assess the truth of anyone’s story, but, that the claim was made is a material part of the overall story at the moment.
In the video she says she was groped.
Yeah, I looked again and caught it this time. (Shooter’s ears, I guess.) So a lot of time passed between the alleged grope, and when she got so pissed she took a swing at the guy.
Frankly, my net reaction is that probably she, the groper, the jackass with the pepper spray (THAT was premeditated!) and probably half the crowd, all having their heads knocked together would have been an appropriate outcome.
Yeah, once the cops pointed out who the sprayer was, you can see him make his way up to her. I’m not sure he didn’t intend to spray her whether she took a swing or not.
Frankly, my net reaction is that probably she, the groper, the jackass with the pepper spray (THAT was premeditated!) and probably half the crowd, all having their heads knocked together would have been an appropriate outcome.
No argument there.
Yeah, with everyone pointing cameras at her, I’m sure the guy who is seen in the video you link to just standing there watching the show decided it might be a good time to cop a feel. Unlikely.
More likely is that she read Rules for Radicals and figured that claiming the guy raped her wouldn’t go over very well, so why not say he felt her up instead. In a crowd, in broad daylight, with everyones’ camera phones pointed at her. Maybe she said she deserved it as she was walking away because her conscience popped up for a split second.
Ow! I’m Feelin’ the Bern!
I’m not really into groping mad cows, it’s dangerous.
I can’t seem to find it now, but there was a video from another angle and much earlier. She was not groped- surprise. He poked her in the clavicle while they argued. This wasn’t a legitimate use of defensive spray, but I have no sympathy for these protesters who go to trump rallies to cause trouble. She got what she deserved. As much as she lied about being groped, I seriously doubt she is 15. She certainly doesn’t look it. She wants to manufacture as much of a disgusting story about Trump people as possible. Why the hell would her parents let her go stir up shit in the middle of a pack of “violent” Trump supporters?
That daily mail peice linked above had a serious left spin to it. They said the crowd answered a “black lives matter” chant with “white lives matter”. No, they were chanting “all lives matter”…
Ah, found it.
http://youtu.be/b0qg7RY5eZs