So here are the results of my experiment. Watch on a 12 minute video.
Please note that this is not a scientific test, and may be subject to many biases, one of which is the particular brand & formula of pepper spray used. Maybe cops have stronger ones and/or they spray a different color.
Nevertheless,** I conclude that the news story is plausible.** In more detail (these conclusions are also at the end of the video):
**1. Spraying pepper spray on a pizza is likely to be dangerous to the sprayer and it’s hard to avoid the bounceback and attendant choking.**But someone who knows how to use the sprayer might be able to avoid the effects by using the pizza box to shield the spray.
**2. The pepper chemical is nearly undetectable on a pizza by smell alone after a few seconds have elapsed.**This lends credence to the claim that the teens didn’t detect anything until they got home.
**3. Keeping sprayed pizza in a box for a few minutes doesn’t accumulate an obvious odor.**Not only does it not accumulate, it seems to dissipate.
**4. Pepper spray can be seen on pizza, but it may look like cheese or sauce.**So the appearance is not a dead giveaway on a pepperoni pizza, but might be on a white sauce pizza.
**5. A mouthful of pizza with spray added is detectable by taste and can be intolerable. But your nose won’t warn you first if you’re not expecting it.**I feel this is critical. You can’t smell the pepper spray and the first hint of trouble might be your first bite or chew.
**6. Very small amounts of residual pepper spray may be indistinguishable from other spicy food.**So if the pepper spray isn’t evenly distributed, some slices might have little or no effect at first.
**7. The possibility exists (not tested) that the chemical taste effects on a sprayed pizza dissipate further with time.**Which would make it more likely that no one noticed until too late.
My opinion is that the news story is entirely possible. Whether it is true or not, I don’t know, and I invite anyone to duplicate or refute my results.
I apologize for the crudeness of the video – I had no assistance and had to be both the subject and the camera operator!