Regina man charged after allegedly aiming bear spray at police officers

Questioning a man about an open can of beer resulted in Regina police officers allegedly being targeted with bear spray early Tuesday.

In a media release, police said officers saw three men walking on Saskatchewan Drive at about 2:30 a.m. The officers stopped when they noticed one of the men was carrying a baseball bat.

After stopping to talk to the men, the officers saw one of them was carrying an open can of beer. Asked for his name, the man allegedly identified himself by giving the name of another person.

When he was challenged by police, the man ran — and then allegedly sprayed officers with bear spray that he pulled from his waistband.

Officers caught the 31-year-old Regina man and charged him with two counts each of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace, and one count each of carrying a concealed weapon, resisting arrest and identity fraud.

He made his first court appearance Tuesday.