Niagara police seek suspects accused of spraying people with chemical irritant

Niagara police are looking for the suspects accused of spraying occupants of a van with a chemical irritant similar to bear or dog spray.

Officers in downtown St. Catharines found five people in a van suffering from exposure to the spray. Paramedics treated the occupants at the scene and took three of them to the hospital.

Police say the van was a ride share vehicle that had stopped in front of a pizza restaurant on St. Paul St. near Helliwell’s Lane to pick up a fare.

Investigators say the car behind the van objected to the stop and a woman driver exited to talk to the driver of the van. After some time, both vehicles continued driving the same direction and stopped at a stop sign on Queen St.

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Investigators say the car stopped beside the van when a man sitting in the passenger seat sprayed the van driver through an open window and sped away. The suspect vehicle is described as being a dark-coloured four door sedan.

The driver of the suspect vehicle is described as a white woman with a medium build and dark hair. Police say she was wearing a black track suit with white stripes on the arms and legs, a blue shirt and white shoes with dark laces.

Police don’t have a full description of the man in the passenger seat. They say he is a white man.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the investigating officers by calling 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1009511.