Pepper Spray Doesn’t Stop Officer

Invercargill Courthouse in New Zealand saw more than its share of activity recently when two prisoners were being escorted to a vehicle waiting to transport them from the court cells back to jail.

One of the prisoners, John Douglas McMurdo, aged 22 thought he could make a clean getaway. McMurdo turned on the escorting police officer, Constable Marcus McMahon, and tried to strangle him in an attempt to make a break for it. McMurdo hadn’t planned on two things, however, and they proved to be his undoing.

First, even though he grabbed McMahon’s pepper spray and hit the officer squarely in the eyes with the spray, McMurdo didn’t expect McMahon to respond so quickly and effectively. Despite the fact that the officer was extremely uncomfortable, he did not leave his post and continued to perform his sworn duties by wrestling McMurdo into the waiting van.

The second thing McMurdo didn’t expect was officer support in the form of construction workers who were building improved security access to the court cells. Police backup arrived in short order, but it was McMahon, with help, who already had the situation well in hand.

Senior Sergeant Dave Raynes said McMahon received more injuries than just pepper spray to his eyes. His back and arm were injured during the fracas.

According to Raynes, the situation is not unusual for a prison escort officer dealing with more people. In court there are three officers, including the escort officer, a police prosecutor, and another officer. “It only takes one prisoner to behave like this.”

When questioned about how he planned to treat his eyes McMahon said, “I’m going back to the station to make love to a hose.”