Activists took to the Manhattan Bridge last weekend as part of a pro-Palestinian protest ahead of the 76th anniversary of the Nakba this week. This led to NYPD Assistant Police Chief James McCarthy attempting to disperse some of the protesters and reaching for his pepper spray while doing so, only to seemingly accidentally spray himself in the eyes.


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In footage posted online, McCarthy can be seen pulling the pepper spray out of his pocket, looking down at it, and quickly turning his head away and squeezing his eyes shut, as you would after someone has pepper sprayed you. Several other officers came to McCarthy’s aid, pouring bottled water on his eyes to flush the irritant out.



An unnamed member of the NYPD later told CBS that “someone” pepper sprayed McCarthy, which is technically true, it’s just that someone was him.