“Can Never Be Me”: Cop Trainees Pepper Sprayed in Training Video, Scenes Leave SA’s Eyes Popping
- An eye-burning video taken at a SAPS academy shows new police recruits being pepper sprayed during training
- The @MDNnewss X page posted the burning scenes as the inductees are put through a rigorous onboarding regime
- SA's online community found the process of joining the force unenviable as the masses poked fun at those who did
- Lt-Col Thabo Covane confirmed to Briefly News that exposing the recruits to pepper spray formed part of the training
Source: UGC
No one would believe it unless they saw it. This best describes a video showing cop trainees going through the most during a training exercise.
An X page, @MDNnewss, posted eye-shutting scenes capturing the rookie officers being put through their paces.
Cop trainees pepper sprayed in training video
The method of training: what some see as rather unconventional.
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The caption read:
"Pepper spray test at the SAPS training."
The unbelievable 10-second material documents the moment a trainer shoots pepper spray into a rookie officer's face.
In the time it takes to blink, the substance seemingly bites into the trainee's eyes, though closed, working its way into the pores and follicles.
The pain kicks in, and they try to find their way blindly to the tap to spray water on their face to ease the burning and pain sensations.
Pepper spray, commonly used as a non-lethal weapon in self-defence and riot control, is notorious for incapacitating a target as it causes temporary blindness.
The South Africa Police Service (SAPS) uses it, as do many other police forces worldwide. It's no wonder the clip purported to show it being used in training.
According to the SAPS website, police recruits undergo a Basic Police Development Learning Programme (BPDLP) on enlisting.
The BPDLP's purpose is to enable them to use legal and policing skills to protect and serve communities.
Free State police spokesperson Lt-Col Thabo Covane confirmed to Briefly News that exposing the recruits to pepper spray formed part of the training.
"It's [a] harmless mixture of peppers used as a form of minimum [force] to ward off an attack or during arrest. All police officials are trained to know its effects before being issued with one and a certificate," Covane said.
It's a no from the rest of SA
But trust Mzansi's squeamish online community to agree with the whole arrangement, which, unsurprisingly, they found outlandish.
Briefly News looks at some of the more colourful responses.
@TeffuJoy wrote:
"But water makes it worse, mos?"
@juicystory_xciv said:
"Sorry. I already got problems with my eyes already."
@Blaq_Mannequin added:
"Andisabaveli (I feel for them), shame."
SA cops run in Comrades Marathon 2024
In other cop news, Briefly News reported that over 350 SAPS officers made it into the 23,000-strong pool of entrants for the 97th edition of the Ultimate Human Race on Sunday, 9 June 2024.
A video of them lining up had Mzansi looking on curiously, with most of the police runners coming from Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal at 70 and 59 officers.
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Source: Briefly News
