Two friends are claiming that an unspecified gas was used by a bouncer during an altercation in Paceville last Monday night, leaving scores of people shocked and gasping for breath.
James Muscat and Francesca Stivala had just reached the top of St Rita’s Steps in the heart of Paceville at around 11.45 p.m. when they saw a number of well-built men dressed in black – whom they presumed were bouncers – pursuing and scuffling with one young, foreign-looking man on the other side of the street from the busy bars.
Mr Muscat claims he saw one of the men produce a small can and spray it as he was running, and within moments several people in the area were coughing and gasping for breath.
“It was totally disproportionate. I don’t know what the young man had done but they could have easily contained him without letting off gas. Everybody was panicking and looking at each other in shock,” Mr Muscat told The Sunday Times.
Ms Stivala saw the altercation but did not see one of the men spray the gas. However, she certainly felt the effects. “It was horrible, I couldn’t breathe,” she said.
Both are unsure which bar the black-clad men were working for, but Mr Muscat is still shocked at the brazenness of the incident.
“I’m very surprised that a bouncer was spraying gas so openly considering all the recent bad publicity about violence in Paceville,” Mr Muscat said.
Paceville has been attracting negative headlines in recent weeks due to reports of violent incidents, including the stabbing of an 18-year-old man earlier this month.
Lawyer and concerned parent Anthony Farrugia set up a pressure group calling for a safer Paceville last month after his son was beaten up in area by a group of men.
Police have been forced to defend their presence in Malta’s entertainment centre in the face of criticism from some quarters, including Labour home affairs spokesman Michael Falzon who said police officers viewed being assigned to work in Paceville as punishment.
But both Mr Muscat and Ms Stivala claim there were no police in the immediate vicinity last Monday.
A police spokesman said St Julian’s district police had not received any reports about the alleged incident. However, the spokesman said the case was being investigated following questions from this newspaper.
Weapons that discharge irritant substances such as teargas are prohibited by the Arms Act.
“One needs a licence from the Commissioner of Police for the acquisition and possession” of such a weapon, the police spokesman said. A doctor at Mater Dei, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a young foreign asthmatic woman was recently admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties after CS gas was let off in Paceville.
pcooke@timesofmalta.com