By Matthew Murray [1]
BELLEVILLE – Belleville Police responded to two incidents involving bear spray [2] last weekend.
The first incident took place Friday at about 1:30 a.m. at Loyalist College [3]. A man and woman were attacked with bear spray after an altercation, according to the police. Two men were seen running into the woods to the west off Wallbridge-Loyalist Road. A canine unit was called in but police were unable to catch the suspects and the investigation is ongoing. Both victims were treated at Belleville General Hospital.
On Sunday, a 39-year-old man was sprayed during a home invasion in Belleville [4]. He was treated by Emergency Medical Services at the scene. A suspect was later caught by police on North Front Street near Bell Boulevard.
Bear spray is a form of pepper spray used as non-lethal protection from bear attacks. The spray contains capsaicin [5], a chemical found in chili peppers, and causes skin and eye irritation and difficulty breathing. While bear spray is legal to purchase, buying it with the intent of using it against someone goes against the Criminal Code, and charges can be laid.
More to come.