Nanaimo parking stall dispute erupts in violence, children contaminated with bear-spray
By Lone Sheep Publishing
The Nanaimo RCMP is investigating a dispute that started as a parking stall which quickly lead to bear-spray being deployed and a vehicle window being smashed with a tire iron.
RCMP said the incident occurred at approximately 12:45 p.m. on Monday May 20, 2024 in the parking lot of Walmart located in the Woodgrove Centre with Police, Fire and BCEHS responding.
“Officers attended and located a family consisting of a husband and wife and their four children,” the media release said.
“The man and his children ranging in ages from one to six, had all been contaminated to some degree by the bear spray. All were treated at scene by BCEHS but did not need further medical treatment. Investigators spoke with the woman who avoided the spray. She said that her and her husband, and children, were attempting to locate a parking stall for their truck and boat they were trailering. While manoeuvring into a stall, they were cut off by a man driving a dark coloured SUV that resembled a Hummer.”
RCMP said that both men got out of their respective vehicles and exchanged heated words.
“The interaction quickly escalated when the driver of the dark coloured vehicle produced a can of bear spray and sprayed it at the other man. Some of the spray contaminated his children. The driver who was sprayed, grabbed a tire iron from his vehicle and smashed out a window on the SUV. The other driver then got into his vehicle and drove off.”
RCMP said the man in the SUV was last seen driving south on Vancouver Island Highway 19A.
The man who produced the bear spray was described as a Caucasian man in his 60’s, grey hair and was wearing a green shirt. No plate was obtained for his vehicle.
“This was a situation where if cooler heads had prevailed, this dispute could have been resolved without resorting to this level of violence,” said R/Cst Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
If anyone has information on this incident or the identity of the man who produced the bear-spray, please contact the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.
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