Halifax man pepper-sprays teen over gay slurs

[Saviolo]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/09/11/ns-pepper-spray-attack.html

A 39-year-old Halifax man says he used pepper spray on a teenager after she harassed his partner for six weeks.

"I actually pepper-sprayed her," said Christopher Whittle. Whittle spoke with the CBC's Elizabeth Chiu because he wants people to know this was not a random act.

The incident happened last Friday, when Halifax Regional Police said a 14-year-old girl was sprayed with an irritant near the parking lot of the Halifax Shopping Centre.

"This was happening every few days. She was coming and making comments about him being gay, and basically just taunting him for who he was, calling him a faggot, fruit whatever," Whittle said.

Friday, Whittle said he witnessed an incident between the girl and his partner. He said he snapped.


Whittle said he was shocked to find out the person he sprayed was a 14-year-old girl. He said she looks older, and assumed she was a woman.

"I do regret how I handled it. I could have handled it differently. But at the time I guess I was just so upset with everything that had gone on, that's how I reacted."

Police say whatever the reason, there's no excuse to pepper spray anyone.

"They should take other means such as calling police, and allow us to deal with it so they don't find themselves in a position of being charged criminally," said Halifax Const. Brian Palmeter.

[valerief]

1. "Police say whatever the reason, there's no excuse to pepper spray anyone."

Say what? Cops are the biggest pepper-sprayers! Well, in the U.S. Maybe not in Canada.

[Fearless]

3. Pot calls the kettle black. n/t

[MercutioATC]

2. As bad as gay-bashing is, kindergarten lessons are often the best solution.

Use your words.

Depending on the state law, the teen may have been guilty of a crime and should have been reported to the police. I might personally think it was a great way to handle this situation, but physical assault is really no way to resolve a verbal altercation.

[Saviolo]

5. No one wins

I agree, no one wins in this situation. The abusive teen gets assaulted painfully, and the man defending his partner from the abusive teen could get jail time for standing up for himself.

There's a small part of me that has some glee over the instant karma the girl brought upon herself for being a hateful little brat. But of course it was not this man's place to physically discipline this girl, even if he thought she was an adult woman.

The police saying that they should have been called in is laughable, though. They're not going to do anything to a mouthy 14 year old. A stern warning not to do it again, I figure.

[LaurenG]

4. She was a bully and she was peppered

It didn't cause permanent harm but her words to this man might have. I agree that physical assault is wrong but so is being an out of control bully. I don't feel bad for her at all.