HUMBOLDT — This is part 12 of a 14-part series following Nina Froggatte’s journey through police training at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, Hutchinson.
Last week Nina Froggatte got doused in the eyes with pepper spray and then completed an obstacle course as part of her training.
“I did pretty well,” she said. “I was worried that I was not going to get through the course very well, but from the time I got sprayed until the time I signed out medically was 12 minutes.”
Once she got sprayed, she ran to a station and hit a punching bag for a certain amount of time, then she scurried to the next station where she was required to grab a baton. At the third station she fought to keep her gun from being taken. Lastly, she reported to dispatch and described the suspect who sprayed her.
“The mist is not what burns,” she said. “There are really fine granules that you can’t see and that is what gets into your eyes.”
Once she completed the course she rinsed her eyes and then prove she could keep them open.
“You basically have to be well enough to be able to drive a car before they will let you sign yourself out,” she said.
Froggatte said the pepper spray ran out as the student before her got sprayed. Instructors opened a new can just for her eyes, assuring she got a good dose.
“It was horrible,” she said.
Froggatte took it like a champ and did not yell or scream. By the time she called dispatch she had to hold her eyelids open and found it difficult to breathe.
All of Froggatte’s hard work is paying off. In 10 days she will graduate.
Froggatte gets an eyeful
