Deliberately spraying a man with water: an act of harassment?

A man who called police after being sprayed with a water gun by a neighbor says the incident only tells part of the story and he has the surveillance camera footage to prove it.

At the beginning of September, Wendy Washik58, was charged with assault after throwing water on the man’s chest. According to her, it was an accident while she was playing with a child.

Sheehan Rochester49, alleges that the incident was rather the result of years of racial harassment from a group of his neighbors in his neighborhood in Simcoe, Ontario. He also believes that Ms. Washik sprayed him intentionally.

It was somehow a way of stripping me of my integrity, my dignityhe says about the incident.

We have the right to live in peace in our home […] We don’t need to be addressed where we live.

Ms. Washik alleges that OPP officers did not ask her just one question upon their arrival on the scene. She was initially charged with assault with a weapon, then a reduced charge of assault.

But Mr. Rochester’s surveillance camera footage appears to show a different version of events.

Very strange and scary

According to these images, on September 1 at around 6 p.m., Mr. Rochester was setting up his lawn mower on his lawn when Ms. Washik approached. No other people are visible.

She stands at the end of the lawn and we hear her say: Hey, how are you?

Mr. Rochester does not appear to respond and begins mowing his lawn while Ms. Washik observes him for several minutes, occasionally waving at him.

It was very strange and scaryhe says.

Then, a boy crosses the street and Ms. Washik appears to ask him for a water gun. She then gestures towards Mr. Rochester.

The footage does not show the side of the house, where Mr Rochester claims he was intentionally doused with water.

At 7:30 p.m., the police arrive on the scene and Mr. Rochester pulls his weed whacker out of the camera frame.

The interaction between Ms. Washik and the police lasted at least 20 minutes, according to the footage. The police are seen talking to her and other neighbors.

In the background, a man is heard swearing and yelling at Mr. Rochester that he is a coward.

Ms. Washik also utters curses and insults in the direction of Mr. Rochester’s house.

An entire neighborhood affected?

Mr. Rochester states that the incident was part of a mob mentality against him and his family, and that he had chosen not to have ties to a group of neighbors, including Ms. Washik.

He says he called the police about 15 times over the past few years and they encouraged him to report problems.

According to him, some tried to fight with him. He was also allegedly the victim of a racial insult.

Mr. Rochester says he and his wife also had to deal with comments that she should be ashamed of being married to a black man.

It’s hatred. You can’t insult people like that and throw racial slurs, says Mr. Rochester. I feel targeted, I have a young family and I have to do what it takes to protect them.

A neighbor problematic

Ms. Washik describes Mr. Rochester as a problematic neighbor and suggests that there was a language barrier, although both were fluent in English.

CBC spoke with Ms. Washik on Friday about Mr. Rochester’s version of events. She says she stuck to her story.

I never spoke to her, except to say hello and be ignored, she maintains. We suffer a lot for a little water.

Ms. Washik works as an educational assistant at the Brant Haldimand and Norfolk Catholic District School Board and cannot return to work until the matter is resolved, she said.

No comments from the PPO

The Ontario Provincial Police said they cannot comment on the case while legal proceedings are still ongoing.

Ms. Washik’s next appearance is scheduled for December.

Mr. Rochester says Ms. Washik’s comments in the media had an effect painful et devastating. He and his family have since received violent threats online.

I wish Ms. Washik would tell the truth, he maintains. The impact she has had is considerable.

With reporting from Philip Lee-Shanok and Samantha Beattie of CBC and The Canadian Press