Extreme community policing: West Virginia crook pepper-sprays HIMSELF mid-robbery

A man from West Virginia has been jailed after he allegedly foiled his own robbery attempt by pepper-spraying himself.

Last week, Kevin Meadows, clad in camouflage gear, a "boonie hat", and a paintball mask, attempted to take down pharmacy staff with repeated blasts of pepper spray.

However, he accidentally walked into one of his own capsicum clouds, The Register-Herald reports.

Meadows then staggered out of the pharmacy and got into a car after aborting his botched robbery attempt, said the paper.

Police investigated the incident and identified another man driving the car who was brought in for questioning.

From the driver’s statement and video surveillance, Meadows was arrested and charged with attempted robbery, the Magistrates' Court complaint said.

"Police did not say why the driver wasn’t charged as an accessory to the attempted robbery," reports the paper. ®