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incredibly." active ingredients in pepper spray can stop the heart for "Will you release, now?" he insists softly. "Will you five to 10 seconds. Oxygen leveLS in the body drop. Arte- release now?" rial pressure drops. Mucus fills the lungs. The heart goes The women unhook themselves. haywire. Death follows. One of the officer's says flatly, "We are not torturing Popper spray has been implicated in the deaths of at you anymore." least 31 people in California since January 1993, aceord- This is a scene from a law enforcement video tape. ing to the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern It is real It occurred on Oct. 16 in Eureka. In America. California. Riggs sent out a press release from Washington D.C. In 1995, the National Coalition on Police Account- inwhich he claimed his staff was "terrorized and assault- ability, (N~OPA) an organization of religior?s, community, ed."The police video does not confirm his assertion. Nor legal and law enforcement representatives, called for a does the video tape the demonstrators took as they ban on the use of pepper shay. Lynne Wilson of N-COPA wheeled in the redwood stump and arranged them- claims that at least 60 people in the United States have selves in a circle. died because of the spray. They greeted the staff politely and told them why there The manufacturer of the brand of pepper spray used were there. in the Eureka action, Defense Technology Corp. of If Riggs' staff was terrorized, why did they lock the America (Casper, Wyo.), recommends that its spray protesters in the office with them? not be used closer than three feet from the face to avoid There was no assault, no terrorism -that is, un61 the permanent damage to the eyes. sheriff deputies and police officers arrived. When asked his gut reaction to this misuse of his com- It was a peaceful political demonstration, a cher- pony's pepper spray, Defertse Tech's spokesman David fished American tradition. Under the law, they could be Dul3ay of Casper said, "We won't make a comment on arrested for trespass -but it's not up to the police to pun- that Since I'm employed, my personal opinion is also fish them. That's the court's responsibility. my professional opinion. Therefore, I won't have a The California Department of Justice "recommends comment on that." thaz Oleoresin Capsicum (pepper spray) be used only agairst violent or hostile subjects." Eureka law officers ignored The United States, which signed the United Nations it. Convention against Torture, describes torture in its own Oleoresin capsicum is derived from hot peppers. terms, as "the intentional infliction of severe physi- ' When applied to the eyes, it has an immediate and cal pain or suffering... directed against persons in the offerd- painful burning effect that may last for hours. It swells er's custody or physical control." the eyes shut and makes it difficult to breathe. Medical The demonstrators were in police custody when they studies show it can cause asthmatics to convulse and die. bad the pepper spray daubed in their eyes. Pepper spray, some claim, can stop a grizzly bear bet- terthan abullet. Charles Levendosky, editorial page editor of the Medical researchers John and Hazel Coleridge, emer- Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, has a national reputation itus professors az the University of California at San Fran- jorFirstAmendmetu commentary. His a-mail address is Cisco, have shown in animal studies that one of the levendos@trib.com. CRUEL TORTURE AND ILLEGAL ABUSE OF PEPPERSPRAY BY HUMBOLDT COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, POLICE ON NON-VIOLENT PROTESTORS WITHOUT WEAPONS WHO DID NOT RESIST THIS IS A BARBARIC STONE AGE COUNTRY C Z