Penticton youth involved in two bearspray incidents in two days

PENTICTON – Police attended bear spray incidents involving youth on two consecutive nights in Penticton last week.

Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth says late Friday night, May 26, people at the fire pit on Lakeshore Drive were hit with bear spray by a group of teenaged boys in a case of mistaken identity.

In a second incident on Saturday night, May 27, police were called to a bear spray incident in the Cypress Street area where a large group of young people had a fire at Skaha Beach.

Wrigglesworth says there had been a fight when one person had taken bear spray from another, claiming to have aimed the can at the ground in order to empty it, exposing himself and a friend as a result.

He says no one was very cooperative with police, who disbursed the gathering and sent the youth home.

“What are your kids doing on Friday and Saturday nights?” Cpl. Wrigglesworth asks. He says parents need to take responsibility in knowing what their teenaged kids are doing, noting "bad things can happen to good kids."

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.