Assault charge withdrawn for woman who sprayed neighbour with water gun

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Was it a harmless jet of misdirected water during a friendly water-gun fight or part of a targeted campaign to harass a neighbour?

The true story won’t come out in court now after an assault charge was withdrawn against Simcoe’s Wendy Washik on Tuesday when she agreed to a no-contact order with her neighbour, Sheehan Rochester.

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Washik, 59, was publicly named by police after a Labour Day incident near her Woodway Trail home in Simcoe where a man was hit with a jet of water.

Washik initially indicated she mishandled an unfamiliar water gun during a play fight with a kid at a neighbourhood gathering and was left “in disbelief” when she was charged with assault with a weapon, with police making no public reference to the type of weapon used.

Washik’s daughter, Randi Washik, started an online fundraising campaign to raise money for her mother’s legal fees, saying “there was clearly no intent to injure anyone during this harmless activity.”

The younger Washik alleged the neighbour hit with the water had a reputation of calling police for minor issues.

More than $10,000 was pledged for Washik’s legal fight from people disgusted that the educational assistant had been hit with a criminal charge that, in turn, put her on paid leave from her job with the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District school board.

Some castigated Norfolk OPP for wasting time and resources on the case, though a police spokesperson said every case is thoroughly investigated “regardless of how the public may perceive the allocation of resources.”

The outrage was fuelled by news outlets picking up the story. The Toronto Sun called Washik a “water gun desperado” in a front-page story.

The initial online fundraiser was pulled after GoFundMe determined the money was to help fight a criminal charge, which is against its policies. A new one was set up on another platform, raising more than $7,300.

An online petition calling for the charge against Washik to be dropped gathered 2,740 signatures.

But Rochester, the alleged victim of the water-gun shot, agreed to speak to the CBC, and shared a different side of the story.

He said he’d called police repeatedly because he’s been a target of harassment on his street and feels the need to protect himself and his family.

Washik told one reporter she had been chasing a child toward the front of a home, trying to figure out how the water gun worked and accidentally hit Rochester, a man she barely knew, while he was cutting his grass.

Rochester’s home security footage appears to show the incident differently.

Video seems to show Washik standing at his fence just before the incident. His video then shows Washik waving over a child who is carrying a water gun.

There’s no actual confrontation on camera but the video also shows police conversing with Washik, her retired police-officer husband and other neighbours after the fact.

Washik’s case made half a dozen appearances in Simcoe court before being settled on Tuesday.

“Ms. Washik entered into a nine-month peace bond to have no contact with the complainant,” said her lawyer, Shawn Swarts. “The Crown withdrew the charge and put on the record that Ms. Washik was admitting no criminal or civil liability.”

Washik could not be reached through her lawyer for comment.

The Catholic school board did not respond to requests as to the next steps for reinstating Washik at her job.

OPP spokesperson Sgt. Ed Sanchuk said they are aware of the court resolution and respected it.

“Every situation is unique. The OPP’s role is to investigate the circumstances in the full context of the call for service and determine the best course of action,” Sanchuk said.

SGamble@postmedia.com
@EXPSGamble