In the latest Saskatoon bear spray incident, two women are facing charges after police were called to a downtown business early on Sunday morning.
Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) said in a news release officers were called to the business in the 60 block of 24th Street East after they received a report of bear spray being discharged.
Police said they found several people who were exposed to the effects of bear spray and were told that the suspects had fled.
The suspects didn’t get far, however, as police stopped their vehicle in a high-risk traffic stop at 20th Street and 4th Avenue.
Police arrested two women and found two canisters of bear spray in the vehicle.
The 23-year-old and 24-year-old are facing charges of mischief over $5000 and possession of a weapon.
Read more
- A fatal collision near Dundurn over the weekend leads to an arrest
- Saskatoon Police: Over $25,000, 1 Kg of Cocaine seized in Blairmore
Dozens of reports in recent months
Despite provincial regulations designed to curb the rising number of bear spray incidents, Saskatoon has seen dozens of SPS reports involving the spray being used as a weapon. The regulations restrict the possession of bear spray in public urban spaces.
Police reported seven separate bear spray attacks over Thanksgiving weekend and the previous week, with two of the incidents were on city buses, while in another two boys aged 12 and 13 were the culprits.
Between Oct. 4 and Oct. 8, police responded to nine calls involving the spray, including one where a school was evacuated.
Bear spray is a deterrent containing capsaicin, a chemical found in chili peppers. The canister releases a cone-shaped cloud of spray to a distance of approximately 10 m and at a speed of over 100 km/h. Capsaicin inflames the eyes and respiratory system of both animals and humans.
According to bearwise.org, the spray is oil-based, so first aid for bear spray is to wash off residue with soap and water, don’t rub your eyes or nose, and rinse your eyes with clean water until the irritation lessons. Effects generally wear off in about 45 minutes, the bear awareness site says.
Read more