Suspect at large in random bear spray attack on New Westminster senior

A uniformed police officer is seen in an image from the New Westminster Police Department's Facebook page.

Two days after a senior man was bear sprayed at a New Westminster intersection, police are asking the public for help finding the suspect in what’s believed to be a random attack.

Following a witness report around 2 p.m. Saturday, officers were sent to the scene of the alleged assault at 8th Street and Queens Avenue, authorities say. 

The victim was attacked with bear spray by a suspect who’s described as a white male around 40 years old who walks with a hunch.

“We believe the suspect and the victim are not known to one another,” Sgt. Justine Thom with the New Westminster Police Department said in a media release Monday. 

Given the time and location of the alleged attack, police believe there were more witnesses than the ones who have come forward. In addition to appealing for the public's help, police say they plan to canvas the area for CCTV footage.

In an email to CTV News, Thom said the use of bear spray in assaults has been a problem for years across the Lower Mainland.

“People should know that while bear spray is legal and obtainable for its intended purposes, if used in a violent crime they can expect to face the consequences of criminal charges, such as assault with a weapon,” she said.

Several police departments in Metro Vancouver have reported bear spray being used in attacks in recent months. In October alone, police said staff at a downtown Vancouver boutique were bear sprayed during a robbery, as was a transit officer trying to make an arrest in Burnaby. On Halloween, a father in North Delta was also allegedly randomly attacked by youth using bear spray