Can Use Of OC Spray Give Sheriff's An Effective Edge? Robert Sorensen, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Agency Liaison at SoRite Reports

Sheriff & Deputy Exclusive

How to reduce the after effects of utilizing OC spray in cell extractions

Chemical agents can help sheriffs more safely gain inmate compliance, but they must adopt best practices to mitigate the potential dangers.

By Robert Sorensen

Cell extraction is a high-risk use of force option for sheriffs dealing with uncooperative, emotionally unstable or dangerous inmates in county jails.

The use of oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray, however, provides a tool that can help county jails gain inmate compliance and improve officer safety. The discomfort allows inmates to think about their actions, giving them a chance to deescalate themselves. The chemical agent encourages compliance without the risk of a force-on-force extraction.

Chemical agents require risk mitigation

The use of a chemical agent serves as an interim step between asking for/ordering cooperation and a potentially dangerous forced cell movement. While sheriffs can benefit from OC-assisted extraction, they must take particular care when pursuing this alternative. Indeed, a chemical agent introduces a new set of risks that county jails must mitigate. OC spray affects everyone – extraction team members as well as inmates.

Failure to address such dangers could cause an extraction to escalate unexpectedly. For example, use of OC could exacerbate medical conditions such as asthma. An inmate’s medical report should be reviewed, when time permits prior to any use of a chemical agent.

The consequences of poor planning

Poorly planned OC-assisted extractions introduce operational, safety and legal risks.

One top risk is failing to medically assess the inmate following the use of OC.  A medical assessment should address and document any injuries the inmate sustained during the extraction. The assessment should be videorecorded, and injuries photographed, to prepare for any legal challenges.

A move sheet, however, gets the extraction team on the same page. But that plan should go beyond the use of a chemical agent: Sheriffs must ensure contingencies are in place if OC fails to assist in having the inmate gain control of their emotions and cooperate with the orders of the team.

Inadequate planning could also mean that a jail lacks a proper decontamination process. As a matter of policy, inmates exposed to OC should be decontaminated as soon as practicable in a dedicated decontamination area set up before the cell extraction. That way, officers know exactly where they are taking an inmate after removal. The decontamination area should be ready to go even if officers don’t anticipate using OC.

Scenario-based training reduces risk exposure

Extraction teams are cautioned against passive forms of training. Periodic structured, scenario-based training offers an effective form of risk mitigation for a sheriff’s cell extraction teams. Training should be as close to a real-world extraction as possible, so officers thoroughly understand their roles and will know what to do when the time comes.

Periodic training is important for preparing teams for a forced cell move, but it’s especially critical when OC could be involved. There are additional safety and operational protocols to consider, such as waiting for the chemical agent to take effect and post-action decontamination.

Realistic training requires the use of OC. Working with the chemical agent helps officers understand of how their bodies will react to exposure, enabling them to work through discomfort.

Decontamination policies contribute to risk management

In addition to team training, clearly defined decontamination policies and procedures are also vital from a risk management perspective.

Having a pre-designated decontamination area, for example, demonstrates that officers are acting in good faith: They’re reducing the discomfort caused by the chemical agent once their cooperation has been secured. That station should be set up with soap and water or another cleaning agent, towels and a change of clothing.

The decontamination of officers, medical staff, and others exposed to OC spray is also a priority and must be built into extraction policies and planning to reduce risk and ensure they can return to regular duties quicker.

Cell decontamination is another important procedure and a cell’s surfaces including floors, walls and ceilings must be scrubbed down with a cleaning agent. County jails should also make sure the inmate has access to a clean cell while their regular cell is being decontaminated.

Best practices for using OC

County jails should adopt the following five best practices for using OC:

• Adopt a hybrid approach to manage the risk of cell extraction

Sheriffs can help ensure safety and effective risk management when they follow a hybrid approach that details a stepwise progression of measures including deescalation, the effective use of OC, and less-lethal options as a contingency. Careful preparation is absolutely required for proper execution. The cell extraction steps should be documented in a move sheet and recorded using video.

• Ensure immediate access to decontamination

Getting inmates, extraction teams and support staff to the decontamination area as soon as possible should be a top priority for safety and risk mitigation. That area must be set up and fully stocked before a move.

• Shut down HVAC air handler units

The broader safety of the jail must be considered when using OC. County jails should turn off a facility’s air handlers before using OC spray. This action prevents OC gas from recirculating in the building. Once the inmate has been removed, the air handlers can be reversed to expel as much gas as possible out of the building.

• Prioritize the cleaning of equipment

Having officers clean their equipment after a move is a key decontamination practice. OC adheres to gear such as gas masks, gloves and tactical vests. Officers can use soap and water or wet wipes to remove chemical agent from equipment. Ideally, specialized decontamination solutions should be used.

Prompt attention to cleaning avoids the hazard of officers putting on a contaminated mask, which could impede their functioning during the next cell extraction.

• Videorecord all actions

All aspects of a cell extraction must be videorecorded including the preparation, the move itself, the decontamination process, the medical assessment, transitions between areas, and post incident debriefs. Video helps document that officers observed best practices and records any injuries to the inmate, which mitigates legal liability.

Conclusion

Cell extractions are never simple, but using OC spray can give sheriffs an effective edge. The faster the inmate complies, the safer it is for the officers. But to gain those advantages, county jails must mitigate the risk of deploying a chemical agent.

Safe, lawful and effective use of OC requires preparation, thorough documentation, officer training and rapid access to decontamination areas.

This article first appeared in the November/Dcember 2026 edition of Sheriff & Deputy magazine.

Robert Sorensen assisted the National Tactical Officers Association to develop their less lethal tactical protocols which are used by a wide variety of law enforcement entities to manage public order. He served as an FBI Task Force Officer and is a retired Department of Justice GS-13 Special Agent. Robert is currently the director of strategic partnerships and agency liaison at the SoRite Company. Contact him at bsorensen@sorite.com