A downtown apartment building had to be partially evacuated on Monday after bear repellent was sprayed by a man police were trying to apprehend.
Barrie police received a call at 11:15 a.m. about a man damaging vehicles in the underground parking garage of 15 Maple Ave.
Police were able to take the 27-year-old man into custody on the 16th floor. He was transported to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH).
Barrie police communications coordinator Peter Leon called it “an apprehension under the Mental Health Act.”
Leon also said the man sprayed bear repellent during the incident and that while there were no injuries, some people were checked out for minor irritations.
“There was some bear repellent used by the individual and Barrie Fire attended and did provide some ventilation in regards to that,” said Leon. “There were a few people, some seniors that reside in the building, who were taken to hospital to be treated for some minor irritation.”
Mischief and weapons charges are pending in the incident in what Leon called a “fairly significant response from Barrie police for an individual we have had previous interactions with.”
