Sarnia man, 20, facing charges in wake of bizarre road rage, bear spray incident

Sarnia police did not identify who they arrested following a bizarre incident in which a suspect allegedly rammed a woman’s vehicle and sprayed her and her passenger with bear spray, forcing a nearby elementary school to lock its pupils inside.

But short documents show Nolan Barr, 20, who was charged earlier this year with drug trafficking on the heels of an alleged $29,000 drug bust, is facing four new charges linked to the alleged car chase.

Police previously said a woman was driving a gold Toyota on Talfourd Street on June 20, when a silver vehicle ahead of her abruptly stopped and quickly backed up. The woman, who recognized the other driver, also tried to reverse, but was rammed before fleeing the area.

Police included a photo of the Toyota, which had significant damage on the front passenger side.

The suspect followed as the Toyota fled, drove up beside the woman’s vehicle and allegedly sprayed bear spray through the window, police said. The woman experienced difficulty breathing and temporary vision loss due to the spray.

Then, the suspect passed the woman, blocked her vehicle at an intersection, got out and sprayed a male passenger, who was able to flee on foot.

Police did not say why the suspect chased after the pair in the other car or how they were connected, but they did say a nearby elementary school was told to keep its pupils inside while the incident was unfolding. After officers arrived, the accused allegedly attempted to mislead them by claiming he was the alleged victim and the woman was the perpetrator, police said.

“However through multiple witness accounts, physical evidence, and other investigative techniques, the officers were able to ascertain the events that allegedly unfolded during this event,” police said.

Police said they charged a 20-year-old man with two counts of assault with a weapon and single counts of dangerous driving and public mischief by intending to mislead police. They didn’t name the accused as he had a toddler, who was unhurt, in the backseat during the alleged incident.

But there is no publication ban on the court documents containing the charges laid against Barr. The complainants linked to the assault with a weapon charges are Madison Major and Riley Smith, but the court document alleges it was pepper spray and not bear spray.

Major and Smith appear to be a couple, according to social media.

Barr was supposed to be in court on the morning of June 21 for an update from his lawyer on the drug-trafficking case, but he instead had a bail hearing later that afternoon, where he was released.

All of his charges – none of them have been tested in court – will be back in court next month.

In the other case, Barr, who has no prior criminal record, is facing two counts each of drug trafficking and drug possession while Donovan Joseph, 25, from Sarnia, is facing one count of drug trafficking. Barr previously was released on those charges, but is banned from contacting Joseph.

Lambton OPP said in March they arrested two suspects following a month-long probe where officers seized suspected cocaine, methamphetamine, hydromorphone, morphine, ketamine, and cash. The alleged drug bust was worth nearly $29,000, police said at the time.

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@ObserverTerry