'It’s unbelievable': Windsor dad says son was pepper sprayed by masked teens in park
A Windsor father is warning other parents after he says his 13-year-old son was pepper sprayed and almost Tasered by a group of masked teens in an east Windsor park.
Dave Bartsch says it happened at Forest Glade Park around 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 10.
“There was a group of kids, probably like 10 kids, came from each side, cornered my son and his friend. Somebody pepper sprayed him in the face, pulled out a Taser, tried Tasing him and as soon as he pulled out the Taser, my son and his friend just ran,” says Bartsch.
His son lost his cell phone in the process and ran to a nearby convenience store to call his dad. Bartsch, who doesn’t live in the neighbourhood, was already on his way to pick him up.
“I raced there as fast as I could, I couldn’t believe it. It was a terrible phone call to get,” says Bartsch.
He says his son could barely breathe and was red-faced from the pepper spray.
“He’s alright now. He was shaken up for a few days,” adds Bartsch.
Bartsch says he’s speaking out so that other kids aren’t hurt.
Windsor police confirm the major crime unit has been actively investigating a report of an assault at the park, but they cannot release the identities of the youth involved.
Through investigation, police say they believed to be a targeted incident.
Police say three of the suspects are believed to have fled the area eastbound behind the Forest Glade Community Centre. Two of the suspects fled on foot and the third suspect on a bicycle. No further descriptions are available at this time.
After sharing his story with other parents, Bartsch says he heard of similar incidents happening to other kids in the area. He says he feels lucky his son wasn’t seriously hurt.
“I think if they would have gotten him with that Taser, they would have really beat him up bad. He got lucky I think,” says Bartsch.
He has a message for other parents.
“Parents gotta know what their kids are up to, they shouldn’t be running around with Tasers and pepper spray,” he says. “It’s unbelievable. It just blows my mind.”
The Major Crime Unit is asking anyone in the area with video surveillance to check their footage for possible evidence.
Investigators are encouraging witnesses and anyone with information to report it to police or call Crime Stoppers if you wish to remain anonymous.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Windsor Police Service - Major Crime Unit at 519-255-6700 ext. 4830, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 519-258-8477 (TIPS) or online at www.catchcrooks.com.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.