Originally Posted By: NightHiker
While pepper spray doesn't have the range of a firearm it IS a lot better than having a threat get withing touching distance.

From a legal standpoint, the limited range of pepper spray or even a Taser can be an advantage. It demonstrates how close the other person was when you engaged them and it bolsters your legal claim of self-defense from imminent harm. Of course, tactically, distance is your friend, as NightHiker said, so it's a tricky trade off.