You have it backward. Bear spray (2% cap) is WEAKER than human pepper spray (10% cap). This is because bear spray is designed to deter a bear, ie, to make it run away, and not knock it on its butt. A bear, unlike humans, will hurt itself if it is blinded for a long period of time.
The advantage of bear spray is it fires long distance, which is so you don't have to get close to a bear to use it. Human pepper spray is meant for close encounters. I suspect police pepper spray is high-pressure, so it shoots far, which makes it appear as if it is bear spray.
Bear spray and people spray is the same damn thing. I used to say that erroneous stuff myself until I wondered if I actually knew what I was talking about. The idea that they spray different distances is bogus. The reason bear spray is not stronger is because Sierra Club. If you have an encounter with a grizzly bear and you expect to survive you better have a freaking gun. Those f’ers will eat you. They actually consider humans to be a food source.
Yep, my source was wrong.
But the stuff you and I can buy is actually 1-1.5% capsacim.
The stuff the police can use is up to 10%. That completely makes their case total garbage.