STM admits pepper spray is hard to control
After three pepper spray incidents in the metro last week, the STM has had to admit that it’s hard to control a substance that’s legal to buy. Incidents have been gradually on the rise for a decade.
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Kate
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P 01:51 on 2024-04-23 Permalink
I’ve been under the impression that it’s illegal to buy or sell pepper already anywhere in the country. Anyone got any idea whether that’s the case?
Andrew 08:13 on 2024-04-23 Permalink
It’s illegal to carry it to use as a weapon, including self defence so intent matters. MEC sells bear spray and that’s totally legal on the trails. Amazon calls it dog spray, but I don’t know if anyone would believe that in the city unless you’re a mailman in a sitcom.
Ephraim 10:32 on 2024-04-23 Permalink
It’s like protecting yourself in your home… they would expect that if you have kids you might have a baseball bat, but you better not have a sock over it (in case the thief grabs it, they get the sock, you still have the bat) and you better have children in the home. Now… a fire extinguisher, that everyone has a reason to have one in their home and you can use it to spray someone or hit someone. That is coincidental… a bat, pepper spray or bear spray might not. But wasp nest spray, that might be needed even in the city.
Ian 18:28 on 2024-04-23 Permalink
It’s always easier to explain a hammer than a knife … but basically yeah if you stab someone with a pen, that pen is now a weapon and you get charged with assault with a weapon.