Bermuda Police Service has defended the use of CapTor incapacitant spray in the emergency ward at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital by one of its officers at the weekend.

The spray was used to bring a man under control so that he could be taken into custody on Saturday evening.

Police were called to the hospital just after 8 p.m. to a report of a man who was causing a disturbance within the hospital.

?Upon arrival officers gave the man specific commands and the officer who was in attendance decided to use in incapacitant spray to subdue the subject,? said Dwayne Caines, Police spokesman.

?The spray was discharged and the man was brought under control and taken into Police custody.? It was reported on a radio news bulletin that some patients and staff at the hospital had been affected by the spray, but Mr. Caines said: ?To our knowledge there was no-one else who was affected by the spray.

If a person is not in the direct line of the spray the only thing they will suffer is a light tingling in their throat.?

And a Bermuda Hospitals Board spokesperson confirmed that neither staff nor patients, other than the individual restrained by Police, were treated as a result of the incident.

In statement the BHB said precautions were taken, including moving one patient out of the area and placing gauze over a baby?s face, during the incident.

Officers of the Bermuda Police Force have been issued with the CapTor spray since April having undergone training in how to use the spray to deal with dangerous and unpredictable suspects.

The spray was first used during an arrest on the Island in April.

Mr. Caines said: ?In keeping with the introduction of the CapTor spray to the community, the hospital officials along with other key service providers and agencies were given a demonstration as to the effect of the spray and how it will affect the environment.

?The Bermuda Police Service is satisfied that the officer in this instance used the appropriate force necessary in the specific environment that he was in.?