Strathcona County RCMP have laid charges against an Edmonton woman, after an alleged ‘road rage’ incident escalated into a pepper spray attack in Sherwood Park over the weekend.
Police were called to Millennium Place at about 11 a.m. Sunday on reports of a pepper spray attack that had taken place in the parking lot.
Employees at the facility had called police after a man ended up inside, looking for help after he was sprayed in the parking lot – police found the 42-year-old victim in a washroom, trying to rinse the contaminant from his face.
After some investigation, officers found the attack took place after an alleged ‘road rage’ incident involving the drivers of two cars occurred on Highway 16 minutes before the pepper spray attack took place.
It’s believed the victim was driving one of the vehicles involved, was followed by the female driver of the other vehicle to Millennium Place.
The woman confronted the man in the parking lot, and after a brief argument produced a container of bear spray and sprayed it in the victims face, although he attempted to run away from the area the woman followed him, and sprayed him again before driving away.
With the help of witnesses at the scene, the woman was identified and arrested in Edmonton the next day.
Julia Richard, 32, of Edmonton, has been charged with two counts of assault with a weapon, and a single count each of possession of a prohibited weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, uttering threats, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public and breach of recognizance.
Richard remained in custody, and was scheduled to appear in court in Sherwood Park Wednesday morning.
