In the Brown case, officers entered his apartment in March 1996 on a drug warrant and sprayed his bedroom with 123 bullets.

"In an effort to subdue the agitated youth, the officers sprayed Captsun at him and the chemical had no noticeable effect," Ms. Trazoff said.

One officer sprayed Mr. Yarborough in the face and he collapsed and never regained consciousness.

During a face-off between the kitchen and the living room, the inspector said, the officers sprayed Mace in the man's face, but he kept threatening them.

In 1996, a white officer here locked three former freedom fighters in a room and sprayed them with tear gas.

One officer then sprayed him.

He said the officers sprayed Mr. Spero again in a patrol car after he kicked out a window and tried to rip out the back seat.

One officer then sprayed Chemical Mace in her face, handcuffed her and took her to the 90th Precinct station house.

Some officers sprayed pepper gas at the protesters; some protesters threw black paint at the officers.

When that did no good, the officers sprayed the cayenne-pepper-based substance directly into a protester's face.