12-year-old boy charged after bear spray fired into Avalon bedroom: Police

According to police, officers were called to the 2600 block of Clarence Avenue South just after 8 p.m. on Monday for a report that someone had discharged the stinging chemical into a bedroom.

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Officers in the police plane began monitoring the area, and spotted a group of people a short distance away from the address where the call originated, and directed police on the ground to the location.

Saskatoon Police Service’s air support unit. (SPS Air Support Unit/X)

“Upon further investigation, officers located bear spray believed to have been thrown into a yard,” the police service said in a statement.

“As a result, a 12-year-old male is facing charges relating to possession of a weapon, and concealing a weapon.”

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.

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 metres 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 bear spray is to wash off residue with soap and water, don’t rub your eyes or nose, and rinse your eyes with clean water until the irritation lessens. Effects generally wear off in about 45 minutes.