Topline: Authorities say the mother used bear spray, a highly potent chemical agent meant to ward off bears, on her children’s eyes and mouths.
Published: April 13, 2026 8:37 am ET
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Christie Williams (via Jefferson County Jail)
LEEDS, AL — A woman is facing a felony charge after authorities say she sprayed two young children with bear spray, an incident that came to light when one of the children ran into the street crying for help.
Christie Lashay Williams, identified in reports as 36 or 37 years old, was arrested Monday and charged with aggravated child abuse/torture, according to court records cited by AL.com.
According to AL.com, the incident dates back to March 8, when Leeds police were dispatched around 1:45 p.m. to the 7100 block of Wood Carriage Lane after receiving a report of a child running down the street yelling for help.
A 911 caller told dispatchers the child’s face was puffy and her eyes were red. “She was crying for help,” Leeds Police Chief Paul Irwin said.
Officers and detectives responded to the home and took two children, both elementary school age, to Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham, the reports state. While being treated, the children told investigators their mother had sprayed them with what they initially described as bug spray, according to WKRC.
Detectives later executed a search warrant at the home and recovered bear spray believed to have been used in the incident, AL.com reported. During interviews, one of the children alleged Williams sprayed them in the eyes and mouth, while another account cited by WBRC states the child said they were sprayed in the left eye, right eye and mouth.
Authorities said Williams told police the children had been acting unruly when she used the spray, according to WKRC.
Bear spray, which is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency as a pesticide, is designed to deter large animals and is generally more potent than standard pepper spray, WBRC reported. Experts told AL.com that its effects can include severe burning, involuntary eye closure, tearing, runny nose, intense coughing and respiratory distress, and that it can be far more debilitating than pepper spray.
“I think it’s terrible,” Irwin said, according to AL.com. “I don’t think you should be punishing your children with a spray that can be used on a bear. That’s not to be used on humans.”
The children are now in the custody of the Alabama Department of Human Resources, AL.com reported.
Court records show Williams was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 4:10 p.m. Monday and later released after posting a $15,000 bond. A court date has not yet been set.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Mother Accused of Punishing Her Young Children By Spraying Their Mouth With Bear Spray
Authorities say the mother used bear spray, a highly potent chemical agent meant to ward off bears, on her children’s eyes and mouths.
By Jacob Charles
Published: April 13, 2026 8:37 am ET
Christie Williams (via Jefferson County Jail)
LEEDS, AL — A woman is facing a felony charge after authorities say she sprayed two young children with bear spray, an incident that came to light when one of the children ran into the street crying for help.
Christie Lashay Williams, identified in reports as 36 or 37 years old, was arrested Monday and charged with aggravated child abuse/torture, according to court records cited by AL.com.
According to AL.com, the incident dates back to March 8, when Leeds police were dispatched around 1:45 p.m. to the 7100 block of Wood Carriage Lane after receiving a report of a child running down the street yelling for help.
A 911 caller told dispatchers the child’s face was puffy and her eyes were red. “She was crying for help,” Leeds Police Chief Paul Irwin said.
Officers and detectives responded to the home and took two children, both elementary school age, to Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham, the reports state. While being treated, the children told investigators their mother had sprayed them with what they initially described as bug spray, according to WKRC.
Detectives later executed a search warrant at the home and recovered bear spray believed to have been used in the incident, AL.com reported. During interviews, one of the children alleged Williams sprayed them in the eyes and mouth, while another account cited by WBRC states the child said they were sprayed in the left eye, right eye and mouth.
Authorities said Williams told police the children had been acting unruly when she used the spray, according to WKRC.
Bear spray, which is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency as a pesticide, is designed to deter large animals and is generally more potent than standard pepper spray, WBRC reported. Experts told AL.com that its effects can include severe burning, involuntary eye closure, tearing, runny nose, intense coughing and respiratory distress, and that it can be far more debilitating than pepper spray.
“I think it’s terrible,” Irwin said, according to AL.com. “I don’t think you should be punishing your children with a spray that can be used on a bear. That’s not to be used on humans.”
The children are now in the custody of the Alabama Department of Human Resources, AL.com reported.
Court records show Williams was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 4:10 p.m. Monday and later released after posting a $15,000 bond. A court date has not yet been set.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Mother Accused of Punishing Her Young Children By Spraying Their Mouth With Bear Spray
Authorities say the mother used bear spray, a highly potent chemical agent meant to ward off bears, on her children’s eyes and mouths.
By Jacob Charles
Published: April 13, 2026 8:37 am ET
Christie Williams (via Jefferson County Jail)
LEEDS, AL — A woman is facing a felony charge after authorities say she sprayed two young children with bear spray, an incident that came to light when one of the children ran into the street crying for help.
Christie Lashay Williams, identified in reports as 36 or 37 years old, was arrested Monday and charged with aggravated child abuse/torture, according to court records cited by AL.com.
According to AL.com, the incident dates back to March 8, when Leeds police were dispatched around 1:45 p.m. to the 7100 block of Wood Carriage Lane after receiving a report of a child running down the street yelling for help.
A 911 caller told dispatchers the child’s face was puffy and her eyes were red. “She was crying for help,” Leeds Police Chief Paul Irwin said.
Officers and detectives responded to the home and took two children, both elementary school age, to Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham, the reports state. While being treated, the children told investigators their mother had sprayed them with what they initially described as bug spray, according to WKRC.
Detectives later executed a search warrant at the home and recovered bear spray believed to have been used in the incident, AL.com reported. During interviews, one of the children alleged Williams sprayed them in the eyes and mouth, while another account cited by WBRC states the child said they were sprayed in the left eye, right eye and mouth.
Authorities said Williams told police the children had been acting unruly when she used the spray, according to WKRC.
Bear spray, which is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency as a pesticide, is designed to deter large animals and is generally more potent than standard pepper spray, WBRC reported. Experts told AL.com that its effects can include severe burning, involuntary eye closure, tearing, runny nose, intense coughing and respiratory distress, and that it can be far more debilitating than pepper spray.
“I think it’s terrible,” Irwin said, according to AL.com. “I don’t think you should be punishing your children with a spray that can be used on a bear. That’s not to be used on humans.”
The children are now in the custody of the Alabama Department of Human Resources, AL.com reported.
Court records show Williams was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 4:10 p.m. Monday and later released after posting a $15,000 bond. A court date has not yet been set.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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