Teen Charged with Assault After Security Guards Doused with Bleach at Truro Hospital

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm after two security guards at a Truro, N.S., hospital were doused with household bleach earlier this week. The incident occurred at the Colchester East Hants Health Centre, where police were called at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday to respond to the assault involving a visitor.

Chief David MacNeil of the Truro Police Service told CBC News, “There was a young person that was visiting the hospital because they had a family member that was in the hospital. They were upset by something that happened and as far as we can determine so far there was some kind of interaction or discussion with security staff. The young person left the hospital and returned a time later and at that time threw a substance on two of the security guards, assaulting them.”

According to police, two male guards were splashed with bleach, one in the face and the other on his torso. Both men were treated at the hospital and released. The security at the hospital is provided by Paladin Security, however, no one from the company has commented on the incident.

A spokesperson from Nova Scotia Health expressed sadness over the news of the security guards’ injuries and stated, “We are working closely with police, and our immediate focus remains on supporting the team members impacted by this event.”

The teenager, whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was released after a court appearance on Wednesday. He is scheduled to return to court on July 7 for further proceedings.