One of the three people who was bear sprayed in Nanaimo over a 24-hour period this week is sharing what happened to him during the string of violent attacks, in hopes the culprits will be identified.
Police are investigating a handful of cases of people being bear sprayed and they believe at least three of them, possibly more, could be connected.
It was a bizarre incident that’s happened at a Nanaimo chiropractor’s office five times. Someone runs up the stairs before screaming and stomping and running away.
READ MORE: Teens suspected of 3 ‘disturbing’ attacks in Nanaimo within 24 hours
When it happened again at 6:30 p.m. the night of April 29, chiropractor Glen Reed didn’t have a patient, so he decided to chase after the culprits and find out who they were.
“I came out here and they were just a few feet out in front of me, so I decided to try and get a photo,” said Reed of The Wellhouse.
Reed chased the two teens out of his building and sprinted after them as he tried to pull out his cell phone and open the camera.
“It was right about here when I kind of caught them and, you know, I’m not going to tackle a kid so I was telling him I’m going to get a photo,” said Reed.
“So they pulled the bear spray out and turned around and it was right about here where they got me right in the face and down my arm.”
The young people ran off while Reed went to hospital to have the bear spray washed away.
“It was a terrible couple hours, but once it was done with you’re right back to 100 per cent so no lasting effects,” he said.
Series of bear spray attacks
Police say the suspect descriptions lead them to believe this is connected to two other bear spray incidents that happened the same day. Both of those attacks were on unhoused men. In one instance on Labieux Road the victim was also stabbed. In the other near Grant Avenue and Dufferin Cresent the victim was bear sprayed and hit with a metal pipe.
They come eight days after a man with developmental disabilities walking his dog was randomly bear sprayed near Brannen Lake.
“The three we’re focusing on right now occurred on the 29th,” said Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien with Nanaimo RCMP. “We know there’s been two or three high profile ones in the community that are unsolved so we’re certainly going to look at any linkage factors between those and these.”
Police say tips have been coming in and they suspect it will be just a matter of time before they’re able to identify those responsible.
The Nanaimo chiropractor says it’s a sad reflection that society’s not going the right way and he’s concerned for the two teens that bear sprayed him.
“The way that they’re going is not good. Any parent would tell you that they need consequences,” he said.
The three suspects are described as young men between 14 and 16 years old.
Kendall Hanson
