Thirty-eight-year old Chad Weasel from North Battleford made his first court appearance on Monday in connection with the Sunday incident at St. Paul’s Anglican Church on 99th Street in North Battleford.

Several RCMP officers responded to the call around 10:40am. When they arrived, an adult male suspect was being held by churchgoers who had evacuated the area where the bear spray incident occurred.

Twenty-five people of varying ages were impacted by the bear spray, including several children. Paramedics treated people on the scene.

A preliminary RCMP investigation found that it was not a hate crime-motivated incident.

Weasel is charged with four counts of assault with a weapon, one count of carrying a concealed weapon. one count of committing a common nuisance and one count of unlawfully obstructing a minister from celebrating a religious service.

Weasel made his first court appearance in North Battleford Provincial Court on Monday.