Sault Ste. Marie City Police Service has been tracking the number of bear spray attacks and their locations since September of 2011 and has received no less than 10 reports of it in that time frame.
Perhaps the most disturbing rash of them occured at Halloween.
SooToday.com received reports of as many as a dozen people being sprayed during one attack at house party in the city's east end.
People at the party reported that the two attackers were in costumes with masks, as were many others at the party.
"They pulled the cans of bear spray out from under their shirts and sprayed a bunch of people inside then continued on to people by the door and outside," said one person who was at the party and doesn't want to be identified.
He also said that there was no milk in the house so someone had to go to the nearest store that was open to buy milk from, a good distance away, so the victim's eyes could be washed out and the spray nutralized.
This person and other victims at that party reported that neither the police or paramedics who attended at the scene were prepared to treat or assist the victims.
Police say there were incidences of bear spray attacks as recently as New Years’ Day and two of the last three reported incidents occurred in the McNabb St. Area between Pine St. and Black Road.
At the times of the incidents, police had vague descriptions of possible suspects and some arrests have been made in a pair of separate incidents; one in which bear spray was used in a break and enter as well as another in which it was used in an assault
Sault Ste. Marie City Police Sergeant Lisa Kenopic said that bear spray has also been found during the serving of several recent drug warrants
Other bear mace-related arrests have been made during residence drug search warrants as well as during vehicle stops when drug trafficking charges were laid.
In those cases, bear spray was found and prohibited weapon charges were subsequently laid.
Bear mace, which is not as lethal as pepper spray that a police officer would carry, can legally be carried but is regulated under the Pest Control Products Act.
Penalties can be imposed under the act, should those in possession of bear mace cause:
- A risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm to another person;
- A risk of substantial harm to the environment; or
- Harm to the environment;
Among the penalties that can be imposed on anyone found guilty are a fine of up to $500,000 and jail time of a maximum of three years.