What is the primary legal criterion for using OC spray in self-defense?

• A. The spray may be used whenever the officer feels threatened.
• B. The threat must be imminent and the use of OC spray must be necessary and proportionate to that threat.
• C. OC spray can be used only after the subject has been restrained.
• D. The person being sprayed must be armed.

Answer: (B)

In self-defense you’re allowed to use force only when there is an imminent threat of harm, and the amount of force used must be necessary and proportional to that threat. OC spray is a tool intended to stop an attacker, so its use must be justified by both of these factors: the danger must be immediate, and there must be no reasonable, safer option to prevent the harm, with the force applied matching the level of the threat. This means you can’t use OC spray just because you feel uneasy or in anticipation of future trouble, nor do you have to wait until someone is restrained or until they’re armed. The emphasis is on stopping an imminent risk in a way that is proportionate to what you’re facing.