Unsuck DC Metro: Pepper Spray Incident at Capitol South

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Pepper Spray Incident at Capitol South

From a reader:

A belligerent passenger exited Capitol South and disregarded a police order to not walk away outside the ticket gates.

The cop (maybe MTPD, maybe not) pepper sprayed the guy and emptied the canister.

They also managed to spray everybody on the escalators and in the concourse in a huge cloud of spray.

There was panic, with people running away and coughing.

Chaos.

Comments (25)

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-3 Vote up Vote down

Ever and Anon · 718 weeks ago

Danger from even the ones who protect us now. Life on metro. (sigh)

+9 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday 13 · 718 weeks ago

Won't be long before that station's name gets hyphenated to "Capitol South-Pepper Spray."

0 Vote up Vote down

Sizzle · 718 weeks ago

Yep, it was MTPD.
http://dcist.com/2011/06/pepper_spray_cloud_affec...

+2 Vote up Vote down

MoRoNs · 718 weeks ago

Tasers would be more effective in the metro.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+5 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 718 weeks ago

Not to mention that I am sure the training for pepper spray warns against using it in crowded confined spaces.

+2 Vote up Vote down

MoRoNs · 718 weeks ago

Not really. Just used to subdue anyone that resists. I was pepper sprayed as an MP for the army. As a frequent rider i would have to say that we all know how much of a breeze comes through the stations especially by the exits. I am sure the officer had no intention of spraying it to effect everyone.

+2 Vote up Vote down

crucible · 718 weeks ago

More effective? Possibly. But there's a reason why a taser is called a "less lethal" option as sometimes, people do in fact die from it (undiagnosed medical conditions, drug use, etc.) So pepper spray, while annoying, isn't going to kill anyone at least.

(Personally, I wish they brought back nightsticks, but red eyes and snotty noses from pepper spray and taser shock doen't leave bruises, broken bones and cracked skulls like nightsticks do. But hey, what a few cracked skulls on bad guys between friends eh? :) )

+8 Vote up Vote down

dcn8v · 718 weeks ago

Does anyone know what the circumstances were? I mean, I'd rather breathe a little pepper spray than be mowed down by a suspected gunman. It would just be interesting to know what went down before the spraying to see if it warranted pepper spray or not.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

efroh · 718 weeks ago

Disrespect of cop.

+5 Vote up Vote down

Justsaying · 718 weeks ago

We want the crime to stop yet I hear people complain on here about how the police are too hard on people, you all get upset about tasers, the police pushing people on the ground, holding them on the ground while trying to handcuff them, so many times there have been posts about the police and they catch hell. If I were there for the pepper spray I would not have been happy either, but I want the police there to protect me.

I feel bad for police they are damned if they do and damned if they don't . We do need to cut them some slack and let them to their job, next time they toss someone on the ground it just may be the person that attacked you or you would have been their next target.

7 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

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Kara · 718 weeks ago

A key phrase is missing from that: proportional response. You seem to feel it is only one extreme or the other and nobody is advocating that.

If someone has an AK-47 aimed at a crowd of people the police should do whatever they can to take the suspect down and do so immediately. If a person is jaywalking at a crowded event the police should not deploy tear gas all over the place.

-11 Vote up Vote down

MoRoNs · 718 weeks ago

Then you would be bitching that the person who was being arrested didnt do anything......or maybe they were just one of those kids thats been jacking everyone. Tear gas them all.

0 Vote up Vote down

Think Harder · 718 weeks ago

In other words, the only way to reduce crime is to increase police brutality. Thanks for stopping by.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Think Harder · 718 weeks ago

This was sarcasm, folks.

-2 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 718 weeks ago

Apparently neither "Kara" nor "think harder" think too much. How do you know pepper spray wasn't a proportional response? I can guarantee the officer did not deploy his/her OC without just reason: most likely a combative arrestee.

Thanks for the well said comment "justsaying".

-2 Vote up Vote down

anon · 718 weeks ago

How can you guarantee that?

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Kara · 718 weeks ago

Maybe it was warranted, maybe it was not. Without the details we can not say. What we DO know is that the actions affected bystanders ... which means it had to be something *really* major to warrant doing that. I am talking close-the-station major and that did not happen.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Kat · 718 weeks ago

This is my worst nightmare. I'm not technically allergic to capsacin, but it makes me very sick if I eat something that has it. I can't imagine breathing it in or getting it in my eyes.

+8 Vote up Vote down

Ugh · 718 weeks ago

Is this really any different than so-called "brake dust" and other Metro odors?

+7 Vote up Vote down

One take · 718 weeks ago

The fact that both an officer was present and took action is a positive. However, applying pepper spray in a highly populated confined space was taking a significantly large risk of affecting others within the vicinity of the incident. A different response would have been more effective to detain the offender and cancel out the threat; but still it’s good to see officers present who are willing to take action. I hope all of the people who were sprayed by mistake recover quickly and without long term effects.

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MoRoNs · 718 weeks ago

You complain there are no officers in the system...you complain they all sit around and talk...you complain they are too hard on people....you say they aren't the real police...well guess what you cant have it both ways. So i guess when the next big fight breaks out at Le Enfant Plaza and 20 kids are going at it during rush hour then you just want the officer to stand there and do nothing till someone gets hurt or dies. That is your logic? OHHHH dont spray them because i dont want to get hit with it because i am recording on my I Phone and too busy to dial 911. That is the logic for most of you mis-informed people. This is not a perfect world, whatever the police have to do to get the BAD guy in cuffs i am for it.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Kara · 718 weeks ago

Read my above posts about proportional response.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Anon · 718 weeks ago

I have moderate to severe asthma, and thus already diminished lung capacity. I could die if exposed to pepper spray and not treated by an emergency crew pretty much immediately. My estate will sue all responsible parties -- enjoy!

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

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ZipZop · 718 weeks ago

That brings up an interesting point. I am guessing a lot of people that use that stop are staff heading to Capitol Hill (I know I use it when going there to lobby). Which means a lot of lawyers. Something like this could get messy fast, especially in the unusual chance that they already have had a bad metro experience.