Man charged with illegal use of bear spray in dispute at Bend homeless camp

Resident had used replica BB gun to tell man to leave

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A report of shots fired at a homeless camp on Bend’s north end Tuesday brought officers to the scene who arrested a man for illegal use of bear spray but did not charge a resident who retrieved a replica BB gun and ordered the man to leave.

Police were dispatched shortly after 11 a.m. to the area of Hunnell Road near Loco Road for a dispute and an initial report of a gun being displayed and shots fired, Lt. Juli McConkey said.

While police were en route, they learned no shots were fired, but bear spray was used on several people in the area during a dispute.

One of the residents of the homeless camp retrieved a BB gun that’s a replica to a handgun, held it to their side and told the 56-year-old Bend man who sprayed the bear spray to leave the area, McConkey said.

The man with the bear spray left the area, heading toward nearby Lowe’s Home Improvement, and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies located and took him into custody. The bear spray and replica BB gun were recovered, and the man was cited and released on five counts of unlawful use of Mace.

Bend Fire and Rescue medics treated at the scene and released one person who was sprayed with the bear spray, McConkey said.