Chemical Agent Assault Leads To Arrest In Lafayette Friday
A San Leandro man was arrested after a chemical agent intended to stave off grizzly bears was allegedly used during an assault in the 900 block of Village Center in Lafayette on Friday.
Things began at 10:20am when a man entered a business on the block and discharged a chemical agent that later turned out to be Bear Spray. Three people who were exposed were transported to a hospital while others were treated and released at the scene.
“I heard it was bear spray but didn’t see the spraying part,” said one local who asked their name not be used. “We were only aware something was wrong when the police and fire trucks arrived.”
Police arrested 26-year-old Isaiah Harris of San Leandro. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful discharge of tear gas. He is being held in lieu of $370,000 bail.
Police did not provide a possible motive for the assault and it was not known if the incident was a diversionary tactic or intended assault.
Bear spray, which is similar to pepper spray only more potent, has seen use by both sides in recent demonstrations across the country.
The chemical, dispensed from a pressurized canister, has also been used in a series of local robberies where thieves used the agent to keep store employees and customers at bay.
“This is not your average can of pepper spray,” Dr. Rohini Haar, an emergency room physician in Oakland and a medical advisor for the nonprofit Physicians for Human Rights, told NBC news recently. “It’s being used as a weapon and we need to treat it as such.”
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Nasty stuff.
Extremely…
What? No booking photos? No information on a person who could easily kill someone with that stuff. People with asthma,or with, some other pulmonary condition could easily die from getting a lung full of that stuff.
Let’s not offend any of the cretins in our society! Give him a gift card to Applebee’s! A check for ten grand and an apology for ruining his day.
None released by police. No names given. They’re the ones holding the keys to the information…
I would like to see people who use spray inappropriately treated as criminals, and when caught, punished severely.
People who have it and use it properly should not be restricted.
Oh My!
What a novel idea.
Careful now, Abe, too much common sense unleashed all at once in confined spaces has been known to create great consternation among the masses…
How come we’re only hearing about these things here?
Please tell us about the other crimes. Oh, now in Montana with a can of bear spray in grasp.
Firestone 11R
We’re hoping to wrap up details on other crime-happenings but haven’t heard back from the requisite gendarmerie.
Are you really in Montana? Pretty up there now…
Yes, visited family ranch in Ryegate. Also Livingston and Billings.
Firestone 11R
You got your Tony Lamas on, your jeans pressed tight
You take a few tokes, make you feel alright
Rockin’ and a rollin’ on a Livingston Saturday night
Robbery or something personal?
Lots of police and fire!!!
The erosion of public trust in police and other agencies can be measured by their own growing lack of transparency.
Any more details?
West Hollywood 91R
The guys name IS mentioned. This crap should be banned in CA, there are no Grizzly bears! In fact there should be an absolute ban on chemical agents being used by law enforcement as well. After all, they are banned by international law during war!