Man arrested in Saskatoon for bear spray, hammer assault

A 26-year-old man has been arrested after hitting a woman with a hammer and spraying her with bear spray.

This happened on Nov. 6 at around 8:00 p.m. in the Meadowgreen neighbourhood.

Police were called to a home in the 500 block of Avenue X South for a weapons-related call.

Police learned after the man assaulted the woman he fled the scene. He was located by police a short distance away and arrested without incident.

Read more:

• Bear Spray Incident in Dundonald on Sunday Afternoon
• Are Saskatchewan’s new bear spray laws working?
• Saskatchewan government taking steps to police bear spray

Over 3,000 bear spray incidents in Sask.

According to the province, police have responded to over 3,000 bear spray incidents over the last five years. However, that number could be much higher when factoring in unreported cases.

The Government of Saskatchewan created new rules in March to get tough on those who abuse bear spray in public.

It’s now illegal to deface or alter bear spray cans or carry it in urban public spaces like shopping malls, movie theatres and city parks.

The new rules make it so that those who are charged with a bear spray offence could face fines of up to $100,000.

— with files from 650 CKOM’s Shane Clausing