Reply #35: Please make a substantive reply to my statement...

[redgiant]

...that it is permissible to bring weapons to bear (or to be covered by officers with weapons) when effecting an arrest.

The crowd was hostile and pushing forward. And the weapon is NON-LETHAL. Cops use pepper spray at arm's length (and sometimes receive backspray). There is no reason a paintball-size pepper round would pose undue risk to the officer. Perhaps the crowd could have heeded the orders to keep their distance during the arrest and a close-quarters face-off could have been avoided.