No arrests after bear spray set off in Midtown store: Police

Police say no arrests have been made after bear spray was set off in a store inside Saskatoon’s Midtown mall on Wednesday evening.

According to police, officers were called to the mall on First Avenue South in the city’s downtown core at around 7:30 p.m.

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“Upon arrival, officers determined that a group of several males were inside the mall when two of them momentarily entered a store and discharged a can of bear spray before fleeing the area,” the police service said in a statement.

“The Saskatoon Fire Department assisted in assessing multiple people experiencing the effects of bear spray.”

While no suspects have been arrested, police said officers are still investigating and asked anyone with information on the case to contact the Saskatoon Police Service or Crime Stoppers.

Earlier this 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 in order 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.

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 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 lessons. Effects generally wear off in about 45 minutes, the bear awareness site says.