Our second level IV yard of the day was going in as usual. I work as the Recreation Officer and was checking in the athletic equipment. Then on the far side of the yard I see something I could only describe as an explosion of violence. Riots are always very interesting. From the epicenter or initial contact, it moves out in a wave. Kind of like when you slow down a video of an bomb going off. The waves ripple outward and consume everything in it's path.
I secure my equipment locker and run out the gym door toward the disturbance. As I'm running I pull my Monadnock auto-lock expandable baton out and give it a flick to open it. It doesn't open, so I'm repeatedly snapping the damn thing to open it, cursing the whole time. It still would not open. It's funny how time slows to a crawl when something like that happens. I'm still running and now pulling on the tip and the handle to get it open. Not happening, it's stuck solid. By this time I'm up to the incident, CS grenades are going off around me and inmates are still up and fighting. I put the baton back in it's holster and pull out my OC spray. I hose down one guy and he hits the deck. This stuff is 2,000,000 scoville units. I sprayed another guy and either a gust of wind kicked up or another CS grenade went off in front of me. Anyway, the spray blew back right in my face. That stuff is no joke. I am now almost completely blind in the middle of a damn riot. Fortunately, the code 2 response team was running up just in the nick of time. I couldn't see him, but by his voice I could tell which Sgt. it was. I tell him I can't see and step behind the line of officers. Then the code 3 teams from other facilities start pouring into the yard. By this time all the inmates are down and being restrained. He tells me to go decontaminate. So I go wash this stuff off my face. I come back and start to ID inmates and look for weapons.
I get a chance a little later when things have calmed down to pull my baton out and see what the hell was up with it. I snap, tug and pull and it still isn't opening. I decide the hell with it! It's already broke so I smack it on the concrete a few times. I'm finally barely able to get it open and a big cloud of orange dust comes out with it. The whole shaft was solidly rusted shut. I've never ever had one problem with a baton not opening. Of all the times for one to fail is when I needed it the most. Thank you Mr. Murphy. Lesson learned, always check all your gear every f*ckin day!