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Two Saskatoon men were hospitalized on Thursday night after they were stabbed in separate incidents.
According to police, the first incident saw officers called to 22nd Street West at around 6 p.m. where they found the 41-year-old victim suffering from a stab wound.
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“He reported that a group of men and women had assaulted him at Avenue P and 22nd Street with a knife, bear spray and a taser,” the Saskatoon Police Service said in a statement.
“He was transported to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.”
The second incident happened just two hours later, when officers were called to a home on Avenue N South where they found a 26-year-old man suffering from a stab wound. He was also taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Police said the preliminary investigation indicates that the victim made it back to the home after he was attacked by a group of four men in an alley behind a business in the 1500 block of 20th Street West.
“Members of the Serious Assault Unit are investigating,” the police service said.
The 1500 block of 20th Street West has been a hotspot for crime in the city. Last spring, Canada Post temporarily suspended delivery to that block, citing the need for a “safety assessment” in the area “due to unsafe conditions.”
Anyone with information on either alleged assault was asked to contact the Saskatoon Police Service or make an anonymous report through Crime Stoppers.
What is bear spray?
Bear spray is a deterrent containing capsaicin, a chemical found in chili peppers. The canister releases a cone-shaped cloud of spray at a speed of over 100 km/h, approximately 10 m away. 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 the bear spray is to wash off the residue with soap and water, don’t rub your eyes or nose, and rinse your eyes with clean water until the irritation subsides. The effects generally wear off in about 45 minutes, the bear awareness site says.
Late last year, the provincial government announced new regulations aiming to reduce the number of criminal incidents involving bear spray.
The changes include regulations to restrict the possession of bear spray in public urban spaces and a ban on altering bear spray to hide or disguise the product’s identity. Anyone charged under the new regulations could face fines of up to $100,000.
According to the provincial government, police in Saskatchewan have responded to over 3,000 bear spray incidents over the last five years, but the total number of incidents involving bear spray could be much higher when factoring in unreported cases.
