A 42-year-old man is in custody after allegedly deploying bear spray in three incidents in Kitsilano and during police response on Thursday.
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A man is in custody after being accused of deploying bear spray in three separate incidents in the Kits Point area of Kitsilano, including when police attempted to arrest him, the Vancouver Police Department says.
Police allege Jonathan Laberge-Labrecque, 42, stole a can of bear spray from a car on Ogden Avenue near Cypress Street in the Kits Point neighbourhood. When the owner confronted him, police say Laberge-Labrecque deployed the bear spray and walked away.
About 10 minutes later, police say a second victim was sprayed after confronting Laberge-Labrecque when he approached their work vehicle. In that incident, police allege he also grabbed and threw the victim’s cellphone.
Soon after, police allege Laberge-Labrecque approached a woman and pointed the bear spray at her, demanding a ride or her car. Police said Vancouver Police Department officers arrived in the area and found the suspect.
When officers attempted to arrest him, police allege Laberge-Labrecque deployed bear spray at them and refused to comply with their directions. Officers were eventually able to take him into custody.
Police laid charges including one count of theft under $5,000, one count of robbery, two counts of assault with a weapon, and three counts of assault with a weapon of a peace officer. He remains in custody pending a bail hearing.
The incidents occurred across multiple locations within the same Kits Point area, with the bear-spray deployments reported to have taken place in quick succession during the Thursday police response.
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