Winnipeg teen allegedly attacked bus driver and passenger with bear spray
Posted June 28, 2022 1:36 pm.
Last Updated June 28, 2022 1:42 pm.
Police say a 17-year-old is in custody in connection with two separate incidents on Winnipeg Transit involving bear spray.
Police believe both incidents took place 30 minutes apart on two different buses on Sunday night.
The first occurred around 10:30 p.m. on a bus going southbound on Main Street. The suspect allegedly began an argument with a female passenger, who did not know him. When the driver stopped the bus to address the situation, police say the suspect sprayed them both with bear spray.
The victims say the suspect then kicked and broke the bus’ front doors before leaving.
The driver and passenger were treated for exposure to bear spray.
Roughly 30 minutes later, police believe the same suspect discharged bear spray on another bus before running off.
Suspect arrested after foot pursuit
Winnipeg police say they located the suspect around midnight on Portage Avenue near Smith Street. They arrested him at Portage and Main following a short foot pursuit.
Police say they found about five grams of cocaine on him – an estimated street value of $400.
The teenager was charged with two counts of assault with a weapon, possession of cocaine, mischief under $5,000 and three counts of failure to comply with a release order.
He was detained in custody.
Spike in Winnipeg crime involving teens
It’s the latest in a string of armed robberies, aggravated assaults, shootings and stabbings involving teenagers in Winnipeg this month.
On Tuesday, Winnipeg police arrested three teenage girls believed to be part of a group that allegedly assaulted a man and his daughter at the Forks Market.
Three teenagers were arrested after shooting a carnival employee at Winnipeg’s Red River Exhibition on June 21. An 11-year-old boy was also caught in the gunfire.
RELATED: String of crimes involving Winnipeg youth a worrisome trend, says outreach worker
Earlier in June, Winnipeg teens were allegedly robbed at gunpoint by a 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy.
Three teenage girls were charged with aggravated assault after witnesses say they beat a victim behind Victoria-Albert School.
In another incident, three teenage girls were arrested in connection with an unprovoked attack and robbery that left a woman with injuries.
