A dispute between neighbors in the Town of Ithaca ended with one person being sprayed in the face with bear spray, and another facing criminal charges.
New York State Police say Arthur Stewart was arrested Tuesday after troopers responded to a report of a dispute on Winston Drive. Investigators say the two people involved had an ongoing conflict, and during the latest encounter, Stewart sprayed the other person in the face with bear spray inside a stairwell between apartments.
Police also say the spray Stewart was carrying was illegal under New York law. Self-defense spray is limited to small canisters, but bear spray exceeds that limit and cannot legally be carried for personal protection.
Stewart was charged with unlawful possession of a noxious matter, a misdemeanor, and taken to the Tompkins County Jail for centralized arraignment.
Police did not release information on the condition of the person who was sprayed.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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