Students at Queens school narrowly avoid being peppersprayed during accidental discharge
Mar 02, 2026
Students at a Queens junior high school narrowly avoided being dosed by pepper-spray after a canister of the nonlethal weapon was accidentally discharged during a fight in the school’s cafeteria Monday, cops said.
The pepper spray was activated inside JHS 217 Robert A. Van Wyck Middle School in B
riarwood around 11:21 a.m., according to law enforcement.
Although the discharge occurred during a fight, it is believed to be unintentional and none of the students involved were directly struck, cops said.
Two boys and one girl at the 144th St. school near 85th Ave. were taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center for a checkup, but suffered no apparent injuries, said police.
It is not illegal to carry pepper spray in NYC for anyone 18 or older. No charges are expected to be filed, cops said.
...read more
read less