Hamilton

2 male youths used bear spray in attack at McDonald's inside Hamilton Walmart, police say

Police are investigating after they say two males used bear spray on restaurant staff and bystanders in the Walmart on Upper James Street in Hamilton Tuesday night.

Hamilton police charged one male youth with assault with a weapon following the incident

Two red canisters containing images bears and product warnings are pictured on a table.
Hamilton police have reported several alleged attacks involving bear spray in recent months. (Josh Crabb/CBC)

Hamilton police say they arrested a male youth for using bear spray on restaurant staff and bystanders at the McDonald's in the Walmart on Upper James Street Tuesday evening.  

Although the alleged assault with the spray took place in the restaurant, "the odour/irritant from the spray travelled throughout and made breathing quite difficult for everyone," spokesperson Trevor McKenna told CBC Hamilton in an email.

He said the entire store was evacuated to allow the air to clear, and that paramedics arrived and cared for two people hit by the spray. 

More people were affected but declined care, McKenna said, adding police are "still investigating the cause of the altercation."

In a Wednesday news release, Hamilton Police Service said the Walmart shut down was "brief."

Around 7:15 p.m., police said, two males entered the store and confronted someone. Then, they "hopped the serving counter" and starting spraying.

Two suspects fled on foot "with extremely poor breathing conditions," police said. Officers followed them and arrested one youth, charging him with assault with a weapon, disobeying a court order and disguise with intent. 

In December, police reported incidents in which teens were attacking one another with bear spray as tensions rose between kids at different schools. 

In 2024, Hamilton police responded to 117 incidents of people using bear spray against other people spokesperson Jackie Penman told CBC Hamilton in December. Six of those involved school-age children. In 2023, there were 121 such incidents, three of which involved kids. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justin Chandler is a CBC News reporter in Hamilton. He has a special interest in how public policy affects people, and he loves a quirky human-interest story. Justin covered current affairs in Hamilton and Niagara for TVO, and has worked on a variety of CBC teams and programs, including As It Happens, Day 6 and CBC Music. He co-hosted Radio Free Krypton on Met Radio. You can email story ideas to justin.chandler(at)cbc(dot)ca.