Saskatoon Police Service officers were kept busy dealing with six calls related to bear spray over the weekend.
In a news release on March 10 police listed the incidents from Friday to Sunday, which included two at Midtown Mall, one resulting in the arrest of a 12-year-old.
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Police said their weekend kicked off with two men being charged with assault with a weapon after Community Safety Officers (CSO) from Saskatoon Fire Department saw a man get bear spayed outside Midtown Mall around 7:30 p.m. on March 7.
The victim did not wish to receive medical assistance.
The CSOs called police, and a 21-year-old and 19-year-old were arrested and charged.
Then on March 8 around 7 p.m., SPS said police were called to Mount Royal after a report of bear spray being discharged inside an apartment building in the 100 block of Avenue V North.
Police were told that when someone asked a group of people loitering in the building to leave, one man discharged a can of bear spray. No arrests were made.
The same night SPS said officers were called to check on an injured person around 8:30 p.m. in the 300 block of Avenue P South, and found a woman suffering from the effects of bear spray.
Police said their investigation found the woman had been walking in the area when an unknown man approached her from behind and discharged bear spray into her face.
She was treated by paramedics but did not want further police involvement.
Police were called a third time on March 8 about 10 p.m. after receiving a report of a man that had been bear sprayed by an unknown person near 22nd Street West and Fairlight Drive.
SPS said a search of the area did not locate any suspects and the victim was unable to provide a description.
Police were dealing with bear spray again on March 9 after officers were called to Westmount around 2:30 a.m. after receiving a report of a man that had been sprayed in the 900 block of 22nd Street West.
SPS said the victim did not wish to receive medical assistance or cooperate with a police investigation but officers had already found a suspect in the 200 block of Avenue J South.
Police said that man was found to be wanted on outstanding warrants from the Prince Albert Police Service and was arrested.
The last call to police was around 3:20 p.m. on March 9, SPS said, when officers were again called to Midtown Mall for a report of a loss prevention officer who had been bear sprayed by a male youth.
The youth had left before police arrived but around 5 p.m. mall security notified SPS that the suspect was outside the mall.
Police then arrested a 12-year-old male youth and found a can of bear spray on him. He was charged with possession of a weapon dangerous to public peace, unauthorized carrying of a concealed weapon, and assault with a weapon.
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