MASSILLON – City police are defending their use of pepper spray on high school student athletes after the end of the Oct. 3 football game against a St. Louis area team.

"We have thoroughly reviewed this incident and found (police officers) operated within our policies and procedures for the use-of-force action taken," the department said in an Oct. 7 post on the agency's Facebook page.

Video shows Massillon police deploying pepper spray toward fleeing Cardinal Ritter College Prep players after tempers flared during the post-game handshakes. Massillon won the game against the visiting team from Missouri 28-14 . Watch Ohio High School Football Live on the NFHS Network all season

The Repository reached out to Cardinal Ritter for comment and had not received a response as of Oct. 7.

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