Windsor police charge 15-year-old suspect in chemical spray attack

Published Jul 24, 2023 • Last updated 37 minutes ago • 2 minute read

An example of bear spray is shown in this February 2023 file photo. Photo by Greg Southam /Edmonton Journal

A teenage male is facing charges after an assault on Saturday night involving the use of bear spray.

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Windsor police responded to the incident shortly after 6 p.m. in the 1600 block of College Avenue.

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The victim was a 58-year-old man. Officers learned that he became involved in a verbal dispute with a teen who had reportedly been blocking the street with a bicycle.

The teen cyclist left the scene, then returned a short time later and sprayed the man in the face with a painful chemical.

The man required medical attention as a result. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Windsor police continued to investigate. Around 8:45 p.m, officers located and arrested a male youth in the 1300 block of College Avenue.

A canister of bear spray was found in one of the suspect’s pockets.

A demonstration of bear spray usage is shown in this Parks Canada image. Photo by Parks Canada /Windsor Star

The name of the accused cannot be published due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Windsor police said the suspect is 15 years old, and he is being charged with assault with a weapon and administering a noxious substance.

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Animal deterrent sprays are typically based on capsaicin — the active component in chili peppers that causes a sensation of burning in any tissue.

Commercially available bear sprays usually have a concentration of one per cent capsaicin, which is enough to cause severe eye irritation and respiratory distress, but not permanent damage.

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In order to be legal in Canada, a canister of bear spray must clearly show it is for use against animals, and cannot be more than 500 millilitres in size.

Furthermore, it is illegal to carry bear spray in circumstances where a bear is unlikely to be encountered, such as an urban environment. In such a setting, the Criminal Code of Canada would treat bear spray as a concealed or restricted weapon.

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A variety of bear spray canister seized by Edmonton police in 2019. Note how some canisters have been tampered with in order to make them easier to use as a weapon. Photo by Edmonton Police Service /Postmedia News

Cities across Canada have been seeing a rise of occurrences of bear spray being used as a weapon.

Earlier this year, police services in both Vancouver and Edmonton asked their respective city councils to introduce new bylaws to restrict sale of bear spray beyond federal regulation.

In the same vein, Manitoba introduced new provincial legislation in April making photo identification a requirement to purchase bear spray.

Anyone with more information about Saturday’s incident is encouraged to contact the Major Crimes Unit at 519-255-6700 ext. 4830.

Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477 or www.catchcrooks.com.