Page 344 - NIXBOOK

As the years went by the old PR-24 side handle batons were replaced
with collapsible/expandable batons, which were also never used. In
fact, I can say that in my entire police career I never even saw an
officer use a club in any way on an uncooperative client. However I
always kept mine (small collapsible, not a giant side handled one) on
my belt, figuring it would be better to have one and not need it
instead of needing it and not having it. I had a found a section on my
gunbelt where it fit nicely behind my gun without bothering me at
all so I never felt a need to remove it. I actually did use mine on
occasion to adjust the air vents on the passenger side of my patrol
car. That was pretty much about it- I never even had to brandish mine at a potential customer.
Pepper spray was a relatively new invention back then; the older officers had originally been
issued spray cans of chemical irritant “mace” which was essentially tear gas. Then somebody
invented pepper spray, which had a greatly superior incapacitating power. I saw pepper spray
used just a few times in my career; and I only used it once or twice myself.

The first time I ever used my pepper spray was in my first year; I was trying to take a guy into
custody outside his apartment. I remember his name was Gunnar. He didn’t want to go to jail. He was actively resisting my
attempts to cuff him. So I got tired of wresting around with him and I sprayed him with the pepper spray. And instantly realized
why the directions said to “shake well before using” – the contents had settled in the can and only the propellant gas came out
with any force. A little of the actual liquid spray did come out, but only weakly. It dribbled down my hand and arm and later
stung a surprisingly strong amount. So I had to pause in the action, shake the can well, reapply as directed, and then it came out
in a strong aerosolized spray that I got into Gunnar’s face and that took the fight out of him. As for my arm, I had to rinse it
really well and even then, a few hours later it was still stinging like the worst sunburn I ever had. So: pepper spray does work
well, and I never went to work without it.

Around the year 2000 we got our first TASERs issued to us. A big clunky thing but super cool new technology. It ran on 8 regular
old AA batteries that we had to take out and recharge regularly.

About ten years later we upgraded to a better X26 model that was smaller, packed a bigger punch, and didn’t require double AA
batteries because it came with its own proprietary long-lasting battery module. During the 10 years or so that I carried that
model, the number of clients I zapped: Zero.