# Can PCP make someone inured to pain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 24, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161 "2003-02-24T14:47:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/1 "2003-02-24T14:47:08Z")
I recall hearing a story of someone who was on (or overdosed?) PCP and in an effort to apprehend him for one reason or another the police shot and hit him 6 times with little effect. He also was able to fight off five police officers which tried to pin him down and jumped off the roof of a two-story building, breaking both his legs and continuing to run until he presumably died from his wounds. I’ve heard this story, or variations of it, many times over the years. Does anybody know the origin? Does taking/overdosing PCP really turn a person into a berserker that is immune to pain? How does a police officer deal with somebody who possesses greatly increased strength, an immunity to pain and an inability to reason? People like this seem very difficult/dangerous to apprehend. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/2 "2003-02-24T15:10:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Incubus \* > **Does taking/overdosing PCP really turn a person into a berserker that is immune to pain?** It can, especially if there are mental or emotional problems already existing in the person taking it. PCP, depending on the dose and the resistance level of the dosee, can act as both an anesthetic (which is what it was originally developed for/used as) and a narcotic pain-killer [http://www.drugtestsuccess.com/pcp.htm](http://www.drugtestsuccess.com/pcp.htm) [http://www.well.com/user/woa/fshallu.htm](http://www.well.com/user/woa/fshallu.htm) As for the kinds of things PCP users are capable of… > [@](#): > > _from [http://www.siena.edu/boswell/aggressi.htm](http://www.siena.edu/boswell/aggressi.htm)_ One study consisted of 1000 inmates that were jailed in hospitals because of their PCP abuse (“Effects of PCP. . .”, 1991). Of those 1000, 130 were involved in altercations. An additional 43 used guns or knives. Of these 43, two individuals were caught randomly shooting guns into apartment building windows, one chased his wife with a machete, and one took his grandmother hostage. An additional 29 individuals inflicted self-harm. Of these 29, one pulled out his own front teeth with a pair of pliers, one set himself on fire after stabbing his grandmother, one broke a window and ate the glass, and one man said God told him to kill every one on the bus he was riding. All in all, there was a rate of severe violence of approximately 21% in the 1000 inmate sample of PCP abusers. You also ask > [@](#): > > **How does a police officer deal with somebody who possesses greatly increased strength, an immunity to pain and an inability to reason?** Very, very carefully I would imagine. And sometimes, cops [die](http://www.wkyc.com/news/morelocal/cleveland/020823copshooterpcp.asp) trying. > [@](#): > > **I’ve heard this story, or variations of it, many times over the years. Does anybody know the origin?** From the same site as quoted above-- "An unarmed, naked, thirty-five year old biochemist, who had been in contact with PCP was climbing street signs outside of his lab, when a police officer confronted him. The officer was attacked, and shot the scientist six times at point blank range before he could be subdued (Ray & Ksir, 1999) " This story may be the source of the one you’ve heard, but I’m having trouble finding another source for it. Take it with the appropriate serving of salt. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/3 "2003-02-24T15:17:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by belladonna \* > \*\*It can, especially if there are mental or emotional problems already existing in the person taking it. To clarify, I only meant that the occurance of violent outbursts in users can depend on their mental/emotional state. The anesthetic/pain-killing effects of PCP can be experienced independent of any violence or lack thereof. ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/4 "2003-02-24T15:30:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Incubus \* > \*\* How does a police officer deal with somebody who possesses greatly increased strength, an immunity to pain and an inability to reason? \*\* First, we try not to upset them. No loud noises, bright lights or fast movements. Everything done calmly and slowly. If we can get them into handcuffs, we use two sets. I had a friend who once arrested a guy on PCP and the subject was nice and calm until they took him to a patrol car. The flashing lights set him off. He busted the cuffs, leveled three cops, then ripped the light bar off of the patrol car. Once the lights stopped, he sat down on the curb, completely calm again. If the subject is already on a rampage, there isn’t much we can do other than the usual options (pepper spray, batons, less-lethal weapons such as bean bags, etc.). I was once told (not in official training) that the best weapon to use is the shotgun and to aim for the hips. Fatal wounds often won’t stop them until they bleed out, so shooting for the hips is to keep them from being able to attack. Obviously, this option can only be used if lethal force is justified. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/5 "2003-02-25T04:40:05Z")
Had to do the ‘wet sheet’ thing a time or three in my life. Putting itty bitty feral cats in Crown Royal bags so they can be handled an not be able to injure themselves either, I would say ------ **NETS** Nets can control pissed off lions and tigers, A net thrown on a person if tented to fairly quickly can be a very good way to deal with a berserker who is not armed. I have long wondered why police did not carry and use nets as they get into those kinds of situations fairly often. ::: shrug :::: Tough to fight something that swarms you but does not really fight back. ---
**Author:** ![Keith\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/22d042/32.png) [@Keith\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith_Berry)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/6 "2003-02-25T05:11:03Z")
A small side story: My mom worked at a medical equipment company back in the mid 80’s, and one day a fellow who worked in the shipping department took some PCP on his lunch break and went utterly berzerk. I happened to be visiting my mom at work to get some money from her, and a secretary came running into the offices shouting “That guy from shipping is flipping out in the parking lot!” so everyone ran down to see. He removed all of his clothes and began running around the parking lot, punching the sides of cars and leaving pretty fair dents, seemingly impervious to pain. Then he turned on the company owner’s car and punched out the passenger window, slicing his hand up pretty well. At this point my mom made me go back to the upstairs office and wait at her desk (after all, I was only 12, and it was a bit much to see). He topped his off with doing breakdancing moves in the parking lot. My mom attests that as he did the old back-spinning move, she could see blood splattering as the flesh of his back was ripped and abrased by the rough pavement. Surprisingly, he was very cooperative and almost polite when the police and paramedics arrived, until they tried to restrain him…it took about 5 guys to put him down. ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/7 "2003-02-25T06:46:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Badge \* > **I had a friend who once arrested a guy on PCP and the subject was nice and calm until they took him to a patrol car. The flashing lights set him off. He busted the cuffs, leveled three cops, then ripped the light bar off of the patrol car.** He BROKE the cuffs?? :eek: I thought those things were supposed to be darn near indestructible without tools. How big was this guy? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/8 "2003-02-25T13:26:09Z")
People on PCP can get really, really, freaky. You couldn’t pay me enough to mess with one. Well, maybe if I got a sawed-off shotgun and a million+ $$, then I might do it. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/9 "2003-02-25T14:50:11Z")
PCP is classified as a disassociative (mind disassociates from the body) so users can definately become immune to pain. Another disassociative, Ketamine, is now used as an anaesthetic. I was given an injection of ketamine when I had my broken nose reset. I heard the bone in my nose being snapped and said “Whooaaaaaaa cool” but felt nothing. ---
**Author:** ![theICONiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@theICONiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theICONiac)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/10 "2003-02-25T16:06:46Z")
Sorry, kinda a hijack, but how widespread is pcp use?? (also known as ‘angel dust’ from what I’m told) I have known people who did/does marijauna, shrooms, acid, coke, heroin etc. NEVER have I met/heard of someone doing pcp. Is it addictive? What are the health risks? (I’m not contemplating its use…just curious about a drug that supposedly turns people into madmen). ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/11 "2003-02-25T16:39:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sock Munkey \* > \*\*He BROKE the cuffs?? > :eek: > \*\* I’ve read a couple stories about PCPed arrestees basically stripping the skin and/or flesh off of their hands in order to escape cuffs. Talk about :eek:! ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/12 "2003-02-25T19:09:33Z")
What is it about PCP which seems to endow people with great strength? ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/13 "2003-02-26T00:28:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SenorBeef \* > \*\*What is it about PCP which seems to endow people with great strength? \*\* I think it’s because of the anesthetic properties. You would probably be able to bust handcuffs if you didn’t care about the pain involved. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/14 "2003-02-26T01:26:05Z")
Is the anesthetic property the only thing of relivance to the apparent increased strngth of PCPed people? Can similar traits be seen through other uses of anesthetics? Cheers, Bippy ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pcp-make-someone-inured-to-pain/157161/15 "2003-02-26T02:43:10Z")
And now a [public-service announcement](http://216.232.71.251/~larry/miscpics/bushdog.jpg) from GWB and his dog, Spot. (Don’t click it if photoshopped spoofs of [gruesome urban legends](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/drugs/facepeel.htm) get you down.)