Police release pictures of ‘person of interest’ after senior allegedly bear-sprayed

Police in Saskatoon have released photos of a person of interest after a senior citizen was allegedly bear-sprayed in the city’s Wildwood neighbourhood.

According to police, the incident happened just after 3 p.m. on Sunday in the parking lot of a business on Eighth Street East. Police said the 71-year-old victim got into a “verbal altercation” with a suspect who then vandalized the man’s vehicle and bear-sprayed him.

Police described the alleged assailant as a man in his mid-20s, 5-foot-5 in height, weighing around 130 pounds and wearing dark clothing. He was with two other people at the time of the attack, police said, but their descriptions weren’t provided.

On Wednesday, police said the case remains under investigation by the Serious Assault Unit, and said officers obtained images of a person of interest. Police didn’t say if the photos show the suspected perpetrator or another person.

Anyone who can identify the man in the images, or has any information that could help the case, was urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

The provincial government recently implemented new legislation in an effort to cut back on bear spray attacks, particularly in urban settings.

Anyone charged under the new regulations could face fines of up to $100,000.