Fort Worth chief, oversight director tested pepper ball rounds to assess safety as use for less-lethal force

Chief Eddie Garcia said he is focused on giving officers more crime-fighting tools that do not end in deadly force.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia volunteered to be shot with pepper ball ammunition during a recent department demonstration aimed at exploring less-lethal options for officers.

Garcia said he is focused on giving officers more crime-fighting tools that do not end in deadly force.

“That should be every chief’s job to do that,” Garcia said.

During the demonstration, Garcia experienced the effects of the pepper ball round firsthand, including the impact and the irritant released on contact.

“I could imagine officers giving orders and things of that nature, and then having the effects of the substance,” Garcia said. “You know, it definitely had an effect on me.”

The demonstration was held at the request of the Office of the Police Oversight Monitor. Fort Worth Police Monitor Director Boncyle Sokunbi said she wanted to better understand how the ammunition works and how it could affect both officers and the public.

Sokunbi did not just observe. She also volunteered to be shot to experience the effects herself.

“I allowed them to shoot me in my shoulder, and so I could feel the intensity of it and also how the inert or the Pavo chemical affects individuals,” Sokunbi said.

Sokunbi said her focus is on ensuring proper training, policy and transparency if the department moves forward with the tool.

“What does training look like around it. What is the policy going to look like, and how informed is the public going to be?” Boncyle Sokunbi said.

Pepper ball ammunition, manufactured by the company Pepper Ball, is an irritant powder projectile designed to break on impact and temporarily disable a subject from distances of up to 150 feet.

Videos from other police departments, not affiliated with Fort Worth Police, show pepper ball rounds striking individuals during confrontations, including one incident where a man was hit in the head. Those videos underscore concerns about proper use and training.

Garcia said clear guidelines would be required if the tool is adopted.

“There’s training. There’s a policy. There are areas where you’re supposed to target,” Garcia said.

Sokunbi said public education would be just as important as officer training.

“I also want to work with the community so they understand what is being used,” Sokunbi said.

Both Garcia and Sokunbi said that, despite volunteering to experience the pepper ball rounds themselves, any decision to deploy the ammunition would depend on strict policy, training and clear communication with the public.