NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — A woman was cited with assault on Wednesday after police say she sprayed bear mace at a boy in a Nicholasville park.
Family says the incident happened around 4 p.m. at Lake Mingo Corman Park. Justin Barnes, fiancé to the boy’s mom, says he was fishing at the time.
“All of a sudden we just hear a kid screaming,” Barnes said. “He said, 'Justin, Justin, she pepper sprayed me' and we all just freaked out. His mom ran over there to him real fast.”
According to Barnes, the boy, named Easton, was riding an e-bike around the pond when he was sprayed by a woman.
“He came over here and then she said, ‘I thought I told you, you weren't supposed to be riding that’ and then she just sprayed him," Barnes said.
Instead of pepper spray, Easton was hit by bear spray.
“She was just trying to justify that her life was threatened or being threatened by a kid riding a bike,” said Joshua Hamilton, another family member.
“We took him to the hospital,” added Barnes. “We were there for about two hours, and they say he's got chemical burn.”
Barnes said it's not the only time that police have been called to the park.
“Almost every time we come fishing up here something happens. We had a guy over in the Port-a-John. He was drunk and I think he was on drugs.”
Barnes said this incident should be a reminder to parents to be more aware of what’s going on around them. He also added a few ideas for how to make the park more secure.
“I don't know, maybe get a like a guard or something, but we shouldn't have to do that in the city of Nicholasville. We shouldn't have to do that at all," he said.
