A pepper-spray projectile, also called a pepper-spray ball, pepper-ball or pepper-spray pellet is a projectile

Projectile

A projectile is any object projected into space by the exertion of a force. Although a thrown baseball is technically a projectile too, the term more commonly refers to a weapon....

 weapon

Weapon

A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...

 made up of a powdered chemical that irritates eyes and nose (see pepper spray

Pepper spray

Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...

). These less-lethal weapon

Weapon

A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...

s launch a fragile projectile which breaks upon impact and releases a irritant payload.

Description

A pepper-spray projectile may be a sphere, hence the name pepper-ball, but it may also come in other shapes. The irritant payload may differ from product to product but is usually a powder

Powder

Powder may refer to:*Powder , material composed of very fine particles that are not cemented together* Powder , a 1995 film* Powder , a mid-1990s Britpop band* Powder blue, a color...

, less frequently a liquid

Liquid

Liquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...

, gas

Gas

Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...

 or aerosol

Aerosol

Technically, an aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas. Examples are clouds, and air pollution such as smog and smoke. In general conversation, aerosol usually refers to an aerosol spray can or the output of such a can...

. Some companies offer different substances as payload for their projectiles and launcher systems, so potential seller can choose a substance that is certified for use in their country. Also, projectiles with a inert dummy payload are often offered, for training and testing purposes. See Other uses.

A powder called PAVA

Nonivamide

Nonivamide, also called pelargonic acid vanillylamide or PAVA, is an organic compound and a capsaicinoid. It is an amide of pelargonic acid and vanillyl amine. It is present in chili peppers, but is commonly manufactured synthetically...

 (capsaicin II) pepper is often used.

Pepper-spray weapons systems are used by law enforcement, military

Military

A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...

 and other organizations, and individuals. The weapon is used generally in the role of stand-off weapons, where physical proximity to a suspect is deemed dangerous but deadly force

Deadly force

Deadly force, as defined by the United States Armed Forces, is the force which a person uses, causing—or that a person knows, or should know, would create a substantial risk of causing—death or serious bodily harm...

 is not warranted. The systems are not limited to classic standoff situations and allow agents to apply as many rounds as required to bring individual suspect

Suspect

In the parlance of criminal justice, a suspect is a known person suspected of committing a crime.Police and reporters often incorrectly use the word suspect when referring to the...

s, multiple suspects, or crowds into compliance.

Other uses

The projectile is usually sold to be used with a launcher or gun by the same company, to provide best reliability. The different companies usually also sell other types of projectiles for non-lethal use or projectiles with combined effects. Such effects may include:

• break glass and disperse barricades
• mark suspects for later round ups
• apply impact

Non-Lethality

Although generally considered less-than-lethal when properly used (targets should exclude the face, eyes, throat or spine), deaths have occurred when they have been fired at inappropriate areas. In one well publicized incident in 2004, the Boston Police Department

Boston Police Department

The Boston Police Department , created in 1838, holds the primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the oldest police departments in the United States...

 killed 21-year-old Victoria Snelgrove

Victoria Snelgrove

Victoria Snelgrove was a junior majoring in journalism at Emerson College. She had transferred from Fitchburg State College in the fall of 2003. She was hit with a crowd-control round and mortally wounded by Boston police officer Rochefort Milien on October 21, 2004 when she was eight days away...

using a pepper-spray projectile weapon during a crowd control situation.