Overzealous police officers charge woman with assault after she accidentally sprayed her male neighbor with a water pistol

A Canadian woman has been charged with assault after she accidentally sprayed her neighbor with a water pistol.

Wendy Washik, 58, of Simcoe, Ontario, played with some children while attending a barbecue to celebrate Labour Day weekend on September 1.

“I was trying to figure out how the water gun worked. At my age, I don't play with water guns,” she told CTV News. “I went through the gate and it accidentally hit the neighbor who was maybe three feet away mowing his lawn.”

The neighbor, who allegedly had several problems with residents on the street, then called the police and claimed that he had been the victim of a physical attack.

When a Norfolk County official showed up at her door, she claimed they wouldn't listen to her side of the story and told her husband to “get his wife out of the backyard.”

The teaching assistant was later charged with assault with a weapon.

A Norfolk County officer allegedly told Washik's husband to “get his wife out of the backyard” when they showed up at the couple's home.

The Ontario Provincial Police told DailyMail.com in a statement that “every situation is unique” and “everyone has a right to a safe environment.”

“The role of the OPP is to examine the circumstances in the overall context of the emergency call and determine the best course of action in accordance with their legal responsibilities,” the spokesperson said.

“To protect the integrity of the investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate for the OPP to comment on specific details,” he added.

Washik said she tried to apologize to the neighbor as soon as the incident happened.

“I cried myself to sleep many nights,” she told the outlet.

“They didn't ask me a single question,” she added. “It just baffles me that this happened to me.”

Another neighbor, Kirk Stewart, told CTV News that other residents had problems with the man calling the police.

Washik has been temporarily placed on leave from work due to the incident and does not believe she will be able to return to work until the case is resolved.

Washik said she tried to apologize to the neighbor as soon as the incident happened.

“He had numerous problems on the road, [with] a lot of neighbors. The police have called them and they are here all the time,” Stewart told the outlet.

Another neighbor, Michael MacConnachie, said the man frequently calls the police for minor problems.

“It's a recurring problem on the street that the police come to his house for very, very small problems,” he told CTV News. “We all get along well, we don't call the police on our other neighbors. It's always an individual that calls the police.”

A third resident named Bobbi told CTV News she and her son avoid the man's house when possible and limit the number of visitors who come to their home for fear that police might be called.

Washik is now under financial pressure after being furloughed from her job.

She doesn't think she can return to work until the case is closed.

The family has hired a lawyer to assist in their defense and set up a fundraising website to cover costs.

However, the GoFundMe campaign started by her daughter Randi Washik has since been discontinued after raising around CAD 12,000 (USD 8,820).

The fundraising site ended the campaign because it was “technically [being] a criminal complaint,” Randi said.

But the family has received the money raised so far, Randi told the outlet.

The Washiks have since launched a GiveSendGo campaign to help with legal costs, which has already raised more than $2,000 Canadian ($1,600 U.S.).

A Change.org campaign was also launched, which had collected more than 300 of the 500 signatures it targeted by Tuesday morning.

Washik is expected to appear in court on September 24.

DailyMail.com has contacted the Washiks and GoFundMe for comment.