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In a case that was definitely more trick than treat, six people were assessed by paramedics after they were exposed to bear spray in Prince Albert on Halloween.
According to police, officers were called to a home on 22nd Street East just before 8 p.m. on Saturday after getting a report saying a female suspect had set off the irritant spray at the home’s front door.
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“Police learned that the front door was subsequently opened after the discharge, allowing the bear spray to enter the residence and affect six individuals,” the Prince Albert Police Service said in a statement.
“Parkland Ambulance attended the scene and assessed all six individuals.”
Police said the suspect had fled by the time officers arrived at the home but was soon located in the parking lot of a business on Sixth Avenue East.
According to police, the 15-year-old suspect was arrested without further incident and is now facing six charges of assault with a weapon and an additional charge of possession of a weapon.
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.
In 2024, 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 convicted 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 past five years, but the total number of incidents involving bear spray could be much higher when factoring in unreported cases.
