A woman from Simcoe, Ontario, has been charged with assault after accidentally spraying her neighbor with a water gun while playing with local children. Wendy Washik was testing her water gun before it accidentally hit her neighbor as he was mowing his lawn.
According to CTV News, the educational assistant was playing with some kids at a long weekend barbeque on September 1 when the incident occurred. As she was chasing one of the children from the back of the house to the front yard, she sprayed her gun towards a gate, which hit her neighbor.
“Because I love kids and work with kids, I asked [one] if he had any water guns, and he said: ‘Yeah,’” explained 58-year-old Washik.
“I was trying to figure out how the water gun was working. It’s not like I play with water guns at my age,” she continued, adding that her neighbor was around three feet away from her when she accidentally sprayed him.
Although Washik apologized to the man, he proceeded to call a Norfolk County Officer, claiming he had been “physically assaulted” by Washik.
“They told my husband to ‘bring your wife out of the backyard,’ and that I’m being charged with assault with a weapon. They didn’t ask me one single question,” said Washik, who was taken into police custody.
News of her arrest prompted backlash from neighbors, many of which highlighted that the man has a reputation for creating conflict with people on the street, with many admitting they often try to avoid the man altogether.
Speaking with CTV, Michael MacConnachie said: “It’s been a recurring issue on the street, police being at his house for very, very minor issues.”
“He’s had numerous issues on the street, [with] lots of neighbors. Police called on them, and they’re constantly here,” added Kirk Stewart, another neighbor.
Others, noting that most people in the neighborhood have an amicable relationship, expressed their frustration that the man is weaponizing the police force against them.
“We all get along fine, we’re not calling the police on our other neighbors,” continued MacConnachie. “It’s always the one individual who’s calling the police.”
In addition to being charged with assault with a weapon, Washik was also put on leave by her school board.
“It just blows my mind that this has happened to me,” explained Washik, noting the financial, emotional, and mental strain this accident has put on her and her family.
News of Washik’s arrest similarly sparked outrage on X. While some, such as Canadian political commentator Kat Kanada, expressed she thought the incident was satire at first:
Others blamed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the absurd nature of Wichik’s charges.
Although Norfolk County OPP refused to comment on specific details of the accident because they are investigating, they did express that the neighborhood’s response has been heard.
“We want to assure the community that every case is thoroughly investigated to ensure it is handled appropriately and brought to resolution. We are committed to maintaining high standards in our investigative work, regardless of how the public may perceive the allocation of resources. Our focus remains on doing our job effectively, ensuring that each case receives the attention it deserves, regardless of public perception.”
Washik is due in court on September 24 but hopes to settle the matter by speaking to the Crown attorney before then.
