Saskatoon police say officers responded to 10 bear spray-related calls, occurring in public spaces, over the weekend. Those spaces included a city bus, a shopping mall and a restaurant.
Around 8 p.m. on Saturday, officers were called to a Saskatoon Transit bus that was parked in the 2500 block of 22nd Street West, police said in a Monday afternoon news release.
“It was reported to SPS that two female suspects deployed bear spray towards a group of people on the bus, prior to the group chasing the suspects off the bus,” the release noted.
The people who remained on the bus were assessed on the scene by paramedics, after appearing to suffer the effects of bear spray.
Officers found one suspect, a 16-year-old girl, in a store in the 2400 block of 22nd Street West, where she was detained by employees who found a can of bear spray on her, the release said.
She is charged with four weapons-related offences, mischief and breach of conditions.
Then, around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, officers were called to Midtown Plaza, in the 200 block of First Avenue South.
“Security reported to SPS that upon escorting three occupants out of the building, one individual deployed bear spray at the security officer in a stairwell,” the release said.
The suspect fled before police arrived.
Later on Sunday, around 7:30 p.m., officers responded to a bear spray-related call at a restaurant in the 3500 block of Eighth Street East.
They learned a man sitting in the restaurant was approached by a male suspect.
“The suspect became confrontational with the victim prior to deploying bear spray toward him,” the release said, adding that police don’t believe the assault was random.
The suspect fled before police arrived.
Paramedics treated the remaining occupants of the restaurant for the effects of bear spray.
The Saskatoon Star Phoenix has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.
With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark thestarphoenix.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.