Youths wielding CEWs arrested in Billings Bridge attacks

Ottawa police have arrested three youths following “hate-motivated” harassment and assaults involving conducted energy weapons (CEW) at Billings Bridge Station on Tuesday.

Police were called to the transit station at about 3:15 p.m. on reports of three youths directing slurs at the victims.

The harassment, which was not specifically described, “escalated into a physical assault, during which two conducted energy weapons were produced, but not deployed.”

A witness who intervened to help the victims was also threatened with a CEW by one suspect.

CEWs are non-lethal devices that use high-voltage electricity to stun and temporarily incapacitate a victim. Among the best-known examples are “Taser” weapons used by police.

The weapons are illegal in Canada, but are available through black market sources.

In a release, the Ottawa Police Service thanked the witness who stepped in to assist and reminded residents to report hate-motivated incidents.

Anyone who witnessed Tuesday’s incident or has information about it was asked to contact the OPS East Division Criminal Investigation Section at 613-236-1222, ext. 3566.