Future Cops Endure Pepper Spray Training
By: Lauren Murphy
Updated: November 20, 2007
"I myself had a memorable reaction to pepper spray," said Officer Corey Nunley, a recruiter for the Lubbock Police Department.
"I'll never forget it. It kind of slaps you in the face. It really takes the fight out of you."
Today was pepper spray training at the Lubbock Police Academy.
Each recruit (and one brave reporter) was sprayed across the face.
Immediately after they had to drag a 180 pound dummy, run through cones, and then pump ten pushups.
"This is a few hours of something that's a bit inconvenient for a twenty or thirty year career that's a lot of fun," said Nunley.
Learning how and when to use pepper spray is essential for any future police officer to know, but it's imperative they know how it feels.
"Any time you pepper spray someone you are going to feel the effects of it, probably not as much as they are today, but they can continue to do their job and apprehend the suspect even thought they've been exposed to it as well," said Nunley.
In four weeks, the recruits will graduate from the Lubbock Police Academy, and a little shot of pepper spray didn't come close to deterring a single one.
"It's worth it. I love this job. It's the greatest thing in the world," said Tino Blanco, a future officer with the Lubbock Police Department.
