Wendy Washik was at a neighbourhood barbecue on Sept. 1 when she joined a playful water gun fight with one of her neighbour’s children. As the 58-year-old educational assistant was chasing the child to the front of the home, she said she accidentally sprayed another neighbour with water.

Washik said the neighbour called police and officers arrived at the scene a short time later and charged her with assault with a weapon. She claims police spoke to the neighbour who made the call but asked no one else questions about the incident.

(Monte MacGregor, a Toronto-based criminal defense lawyer, said) “Am I surprised that the charge has been laid? No. But do I recognize that it’s an unfortunate and almost meaningless waste of resources? Yes, because they didn’t interview her, right?” he said.

  • JohnnyCanuck@lemmy.ca
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    3 months ago

    This is next-level stupidity. The neighbour, the cops… absolute jokes.

    If this had happened in my neighbourhood as a kid, the neighbour who called the police would be the target of relentless eggings, TPings, and just general mischief for years to come. Good luck buddy.

  • nyan@lemmy.cafe
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    3 months ago

    Someone overreacted here, but it wasn’t just the police. Who calls the cops over a water gun, for crying out loud?!

  • Nuke_the_whales@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    The last time I called the police about a car theft, they didn’t even bother to pretend to care. But for this shit they jump

    • ArxCyberwolf@lemmy.ca
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      3 months ago

      That requires the cops to actually put effort into investigating and, y’know, doing their jobs. Can’t have that. Far easier to harass the public over minor incidents instead.

    • arin@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      The removed neighbor who called the cops probably had networking with cops

  • BCsven@lemmy.ca
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    3 months ago

    This smells like the dude who called it in is buddies with one of the cops.
    Heck as kids my friends (stupidly) shot each other with BB guns, with a 1 pump rule, no adults ever called a cop…let alone a water fight

  • drewaustin@lemmy.ca
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    3 months ago

    Complete and utter garbage. The police in Canada are truly a place where the corrupt and incompetent go to prosper. I live a hop skip and a jump from where this incident occurred.

    Shit I’ve been through where charges weren’t brought. A person in Barrie (while I was stopped there to charge the car) pulled a knife on me and said he cut me. A person in the town here via SMS said they would fuck me up. As a child, the father of the kid who stole my brother’s backpack threw a rock the size of a golf ball at me and hit me in the leg (the cop who investigated I learned was a friend of the child abuser and played in the same hockey league with him).

    Please tell me someone is organizing a protest of some sort at this OPP office. Maybe we can organize a water toy amnesty program at this office.

    • drewaustin@lemmy.ca
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      3 months ago

      I had ChatGPT make a press release for them to help make the streets of Norfolk County safer:

      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

      September 12, 2024

      Ontario Provincial Police Norfolk Detachment Launches Water Toy Amnesty Program

      Norfolk County, ON– The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Norfolk Detachment is pleased to announce a Water Toy Amnesty Program, scheduled for Saturday, September 28, 2024. This one-day event offers members of the public an opportunity to safely and responsibly dispose of unused or unwanted water-related toys and equipment with no questions asked.

      The program will run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Norfolk County OPP Detachment, located at 548 Queensway West, Simcoe, ON, N3Y 4K2.

      Items Accepted

      The Water Toy Amnesty Program is designed to reduce the number of potentially hazardous or harmful water toys that can be found in our community. The following items can be dropped off:

      • Water guns
      • Inflatable rafts, tubes, and floaties
      • Snow balls
      • Stand-up paddleboards
      • Garden and children’s sprinklers
      • Kayaks, canoes, motor boats, yachts, ferries, and freighters
      • Bath toys
      • Snorkel gear and water wings
      • Water slides
      • Pool toys, beach balls, and floating chairs
      • Garden Hoses
      • Life jackets and personal flotation devices (PFDs)
      • Water balloons
      • Water skis and wakeboards
      • Splash Pads, water parks, wave pools, and lazy rivers
      • Any other water-related equipment

      No questions will be asked, and there are no penalties for participating. All items collected will be recycled or disposed of responsibly.

      Why Participate?

      Water toys represent a serious threat to the safety of Canadians. By participating in the Water Toy Amnesty Program, residents can contribute to safer community environments in Norfolk County.

      For More Information

      For further details on the Water Toy Amnesty Program, please contact the OPP Norfolk Detachment at:

      Phone: (519) 426-3434

      Email: opp.norfolk@opp.ca

      Address: 548 Queensway West, Simcoe, ON, N3Y 4K2

      Join us in this community effort to ensure our local waterways remain safe and enjoyable for everyone. We encourage residents to take advantage of this free opportunity and help protect the environment.

      Media Contact

      Sergeant Wasser Eau

      Ontario Provincial Police – Norfolk Detachment

      Phone: (519) 426-3434

      Email: wasser.eau@opp.ca

      Ontario Provincial Police Norfolk Detachment

      548 Queensway West, Simcoe, ON, N3Y 4K2

      (519) 426-3434 | opp.norfolk@opp.ca

      • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
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        3 months ago

        They are gonna be pissed at you if they get inundated with calls asking if that’s real.

        :p

    • ArxCyberwolf@lemmy.ca
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      3 months ago

      The police in Ontario are universally an absolute joke. It’s no better where I live. The cops would rather patrol the rich gated neighbourhoods looking to harass people who look out of place than deal with my city’s severe drug problems and constant arson and theft.

      • Kichae@lemmy.ca
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        3 months ago

        The cops would rather patrol the rich gated neighbourhoods looking to harass people who look out of place than deal with my city’s severe drug problems and constant arson and theft.

        I mean, that’s what they exist for. The idea that they’re here to protect the public in any way is just PR spin. They’re just state funded security guards for the rich who occasionally do charity work for the rest of us when there’s a chance they might get labelled a ‘hero’.

  • aard@kyu.de
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    3 months ago

    At least she didn’t mix it up with a real gun, like that german police officer.

    • RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com
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      3 months ago

      I still don’t think he’s telling the truth. He probably snapped and overreacted. But the whole “I can’t remember” bullshit should lead to him being sent to office duty indefinitely.

  • fixerdude2@lemmy.ca
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    3 months ago

    Seriously curious on case outcome. OPP and the arresting officer should be embarassed for years to come. I see a lawsuit coming. The id10t so called neighbor should pay the legal costs.