NORTH BATTLEFORD – A man has been arrested and bear spray seized following an incident at a church in North Battleford, the Saskatchewan RCMP said.
A news release states that on May 3, at around 10:40 a.m., Battlefords RCMP received a report of a disturbance. The RCMP said the call ended before more information was received. A second call came in a short time later reporting a man had used bear spray inside a church.
The RCMP said multiple officers responded to St. Paul’s Anglican Church on 99th Street in North Battleford. When officers arrived, the man was being held by individuals inside a church hallway. He was arrested by police without further incident, the RCMP said, and bear spray was seized by police officers at the scene.
According to the RCMP, the entire church was evacuated. Approximately 25 people of all ages were impacted by the bear spray, including several children. EMS members were on scene treating people. No other physical injuries were reported to police.
The RCMP said a preliminary investigation indicates this is not a hate crime-motivated incident.
"As it occurred only this morning, police still must speak with witnesses and people at the scene before any further information can be released, including anything leading up to the bear spray event," the RCMP said.
Charges have not been laid at this time so the RCMP cannot provide any further identifying information about the man. More information will be provided when publicly available.
SaskToday will have updates as they become available.
