"Really? Using chemical weapons that cause torment is less of an assault then simply grabbing someone? If that was my kid I would be pissed they did what they did instead of simply stopping them. If it was so easy to sue police for assault, then police wouldn't be able to touch anyone."
...chemical weapons? It's pepper spray. I know people to whom it's a condiment.
Pepper spray is *temporarily* debilitating and, except for rare people with allergies, clears up without side effects and is treatable with water.
Speaking as a person who is trained and, unfortunately very experienced in handling violent people from youth to adults, I am *terrified* of restraining a child. The child *does not know* anything and will happily ruin their bodies just to get back at you.
With an adult or teen, you put them in a joint lock. They struggle, it hurts, they stop (usually) or you apply more pressure until it hurts enough that they stop.
8 year old? They will scream like you're raping them, and struggle until they put enough force into it to *break their own bones*. And guess what? Your fault. No one will hear a word about their precious little Timmy, you're the bad guy. Period.
I still have *teeth scars* from a 9 year old who, if I had not grabbed his jaw and forced his mouth open, would have *torn a chunk of my leg out*. The Paramedics and then doctor who treated me told me I was lucky not to have permanent damage.
Think anyone blamed the psycho little 9 year old? Nope. "You're a big guy you shoulda been able to handle him easy...but you were too rough...oh my God you bruised his poor little jaw..." Blah blah. Next time you handle him buddy. Please!
And *I* was stopping him after he broke a 4-year old's *arm* and started on the other one! I was lucky the parents of the little girl screamed bloody murder and thanked me for saving their child's life.
