Federal investigators are looking into whether bear spray caused officer Brian Sicknick's death

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: Business Insider

Federal authorities are investigating the death of US Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died following the January 6 insurrection, and one leading theory is that bear spray is to blame.

The investigation into Sicknick's death is still ongoing, and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert J. Contee III said at a news conference last week that police are looking through video and audio evidence for clues into what and who killed the Capitol Police officer.

Last month Capitol Police said Sicknick died one day after he was "injured while physically engaging with protestors."

Investigators told CNN this week that they're narrowing down a list of suspects in Sicknick's death, and said a leading theory is that the police officer was hit with bear spray.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/federal-investigators-looking-whether-bear-163307346.html

[leftofthestorm]

1. Who was the dude we saw hurling a fire extinguisher....

into the back of that police officer's head?? Was that Officer Sickneck?

[yellowdogintexas]

3. I have been wondering that myself

At first I thought he was the one that was beaten with flag poles and other things at one of the entrances. I would have been sure that was a fatal attack

Then my husband told me he thinks he was the one attacked with the fire extinguisher.

We have no idea which injuries were due to the fire extinguisher vs other methods.

If he was overloaded with bear spray he would have been unable to breathe. That stuff is deadly and the canisters shoot out a lot of it at once.

[greenjar_01]

15. No, that wasn't Sicknick...in fact, it's now stated that Sicknick was not hit by fire extinguisher

at all.

[LeftInTX]

17. The dude was arrested a few weeks ago...He was a former fire fighter from Chester? PA

[Rebl2]

27. That's

what they were saying previously. They said he died from a head injury I thought.

[Frustratedlady]

2. Hate to ask a silly question, but what IS bear spray?

I've never heard about it before. Is it a repellant?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

4. Yes

Has to be pretty potent to stop a bear.

[Frustratedlady]

6. Thank you.

[jmowreader]

5. You know what pepper spray is

Bear spray is extremely strong pepper spray. You use it to chase off bears before they eat you.

[Frustratedlady]

8. From what I saw, it appears to have a strong spraying strength, as well.

I was also wondering how another police officer lost 3 fingers? These monsters held nothing back. I can't imagine how so many officers fought for so long, basically hand to hand.

[2naSalit]

13. It's supposed to have a range of up to 30ft.

[niyad]

26. Another officer lost an eye. Another one was stabbed with a metal stake, If reporting is

accurate.

[Wicked Blue]

10. Do they have Republican spray?

asking for a friend

[jmowreader]

11. Bear spray will work

Or, you could just go to a restaurant supply store, buy a gallon of Tabasco and fill your kid's Super Soaker with it.

If you prefer to shop online:

1 gallon of Tabasco:
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/tabasco-1-gallon-original-hot-sauce/999TB00053.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyJOBBhDCARIsAJG2h5eJ54psLTclajV9Nc0oOlBpai-OJFb6ESmgNTDKW_Jh3Wdi-HS-K5gaAm0bEALw_wcB

Double-barrel super soaker:
https://www.amazon.com/Nerf-Super-Soaker-Twin-Tide/dp/B071G935WR/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=super+soaker&qid=1613077877&sr=8-3

[COL Mustard]

18. I Think Walmart Is Sold Out For A While

[niyad]

28. Hmm, aerosolized Trinidad scorpion might work. But would that be a waste?

[electric_blue68]

33. I was thinking Scotch Bonnet. But Trinidad Scorpion...

Oh, that's a new hot pepper name to me! 🙂
An apt, and vivid name. 👍

Can't do hot past some cayenne, a bit jalapeno, Chinese red pepper flakes, few others on the very low end of hot.

I love savory, not hot.

[niyad]

34. I am a certified (certifiable???) chili head. Anxiously awaiting commercial availability of

The chocolate -7.

[electric_blue68]

36. Ah! I salute your cast iron tasting abilities...

At the Green Market one of my favorite farms has a
whole variety of chillies, and pepper plants. They are SO pretty! ❤️

When I lived in a neighborhood with a lot of Carribean Americans I had to avoid being tempted to try jerk chicken because I enjoy trying cuisines new to me. I ate other things.

[niyad]

37. Pepper plants, and peppers, are pretty. Our farmers' market has wonderful chilies, and the aroma of

roasting chilies lifts one's spirits. We have a wonderful chilie festival in Sept. each year. Did not go last year, even though the festival promised they were limiting crowds, etc. it was sorely missed, as were all the other events.

[electric_blue68]

38. I hear ya...

I had the wonderful opportunity to be able travel to the Southwest twice. So occasionally I had stuff with ? poblano, ancho, New Mexico peppers. I brought home a
few dried ones, and hung them up.

But the best was the first time I opened up a jar of chilli powder when I returned home after the first vacation - which I'd never had while I had been cooking
for a bunch of years... and Wow!!! ...
the High Desert of Arizona practically appeared in front
of my face! 💖🥰💖

With some extra luck maybe you'll have your Chilli
Festival this September! 🤞🤞🌶️ ♥️🌶️🤞🤞

[niyad]

39. For the sakes of all of our farmers and vendors, I certainly hope so! It is distressing to ration

one's dried peppers, and jams and such.

[electric_blue68]

40. Absolutely! And our farmers in the...

NYS, NJ, CON area!

And a rare Pensylvsnian & Rhode Islander farmer.

Hopefully I'll be able to visit NYC's biggest green market by lat Aug Sept. Corn!! Bell peppers! Kirby's! Farm cheese! Artisan Breads & Bakery Goods!! Onions, Red Onions, Shallots!! Heirloom Tomatoes!!! 🥰
😄

[yellowdogintexas]

7. It is mace or pepper spray on steroids.

Much stronger, forces a heavier spray and the stream can travel farther.

It is used to get a bear to back off, making that ability to shoot a longer stream very important. In the videos you can see how fat that stream is and the distance it will travel.

[Frustratedlady]

9. Thanks for your explanation. Sounds awful.

[2naSalit]

12. This is in my wheelhouse...

I used to do public outreach and ed about it.

Bear spray is highly concentrated solution of capsaicin, a chemical compound that was first isolated from chili peppers in crystalline form in 1878. Soon after, it was discovered that capsaicin caused a burning sensation in the mucous membranes. In addition, it increased secretion of gastric acid and stimulated the nerve endings in the skin.

It is used in mace but the bear spray is far more concentrated and is a really serious whack on the nose for a bear. For humans, it used to be illegal to use on humans, it's an extended period of blindness and respiratory distress attended by acute burning sensation. Absolutely incapacitating and possibly fatally. I have experienced small doses of the stuff and it sucks in a big way, for hours. Far worse than tear gas.

The cans of bear spray have a sort of super propellant ability to spray up to 30 feet from the can so use on a human at close range is intent to cause serious injury.



ETA: It is used when a bear is approaching you, not like bug repellent.

[Stuckinthebush]

14. Great info, thanks!

I carry that stuff religiously when hiking in bear country. I've never had to use it but do fear that if I'm downwind in a bear encounter that I might get a puff in the face. I guess it's much better than a mauling but I do worry when I carry it that I might have to use it.

Oh, I assume it is useful for bison charges as well. I've often wondered because those animals are scarier than bears at times!

[2naSalit]

16. It works on mammals but you can usually avoid a bison charge...

By your behavior but not always. If it's windy. you just have to wait for the bear to get closer before discharging the stuff. This is a good reason to always have a bandana or the like handy so you can cover your face, somewhat, to avoid a lot of backspray which is a common thing even with no wind.
Bison are pretty unpredictable and if you sprayed one, it might hurt you more than if not. Better to get flung than stomped.

I've spent years around both bears and bison and I would spray a bear but not a bison.

[erronis]

19. The stuff we learn on DU!!!!

Wish I could give you all some hearts but my star donation never got linked to valentines. Oh, well - next year.

[Stuckinthebush]

31. Thanks for the advice

When in the backcountry of yellowstone I've encountered bison but they are normally easy to avoid. I've always wondered if it would be better to not spray them. I've encountered bear but far enough away so as not to worry about spraying. Great advice on the bandana. I'm going to do that this summer on my return to the park.

[2naSalit]

35. Bandanas are one of the ultimate things to have in the wild.

But if you don't have one, pull your shirt up over your mouth and nose at least. I prefer the shoot from the hip method and have my spray attached to my hip. Lightly soapy water will wash the stuff off your skin, the sooner the better. It's oil based solution so soap is needed.

I spent years at YNP and have been stampeded and charged but I always got away.

[ret5hd]

20. The 16 Dumbest Things People Have Done In US National Parks:

https://www.iflscience.com/environment/the-16-dumbest-things-people-have-done-in-us-national-parks/page-2/

And first on our list is:

Some tourists thought bear spray (pepper spray) worked like bug repellent and sprayed the hot chemicals all over their bodies.

"I was in a National Park at the visitor's center. Suddenly, there's this huge commotion and a lot of screaming from the lobby. I head over to find an entire tourist family crying and screaming and the park staff trying their best to manage the situation. Then the air shifts and it hits me. They had applied a liberal amount of BEAR SPRAY all over themselves and the entire lobby. Apparently, they had mistaken the wording of "bear repellent" and had assumed it was to be used like mosquito repellent."

[milestogo]

23. And there is a risk of walking into the cloud of spray you've created and being affected by it.

Last edited Fri Feb 12, 2021, 12:31 AM - Edit history (1)

I know someone who saw a bear, sprayed in its direction, and ended up in the cloud of bear spray. The bear wasn't interested and she (the bear) walked the other way.

[2naSalit]

29. I've heard...

a lot of those tales. It's kind f hard not to chuckle about it at some point.

[milestogo]

22. The active ingredients in bear spray is a derivative of Oleoresin Capsicum called Capsaicin.

It irritates the mucous membranes in the bear's eyes and nose.
Ironically, in states like mine where pepper spray is illegal (like Wisconsin) it is legal to carry bear spray or a gun.

You are not allowed to take it on an airplane.

[twin_ghost]

24. It is pepper spray in a large canister that can propel several feet from the can.

You spray it in the face of a bear then it will temporarily blind the bear and you can escape.

[No Vested Interest]

21. They'll have to use medical records and post mortem reports,

as Officer Sicknick was apparently cremated.
Also any records from before Jan. 6.
I hope they can accurately pin down the cause of his death and any person(s) responsible.

[eppur_se_muova]

25. Some interesting info on bear spray ... less conc'd than pepper spray, but sprays much larger amt...

and over a longer distance. So you could get a much bigger dose of capsaicin from a shot of bear spray than from personal protection pepper spray cartridges.

https://cottagelife.com/outdoors/whats-the-difference-between-bear-spray-and-pepper-spray/

Oh, and what is capsaicin? See the Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaicin#Toxicity

[AwakeAtLast]

30. That would be a horrible way to die!