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Elderly Man Gets Bear Sprayed After Confronting Group Of Girls On California Trail, Video Divides The Internet
A confrontation between an elderly man and a group of young women on a California hiking trail has turned into one of the internet’s latest “Male Karen” debates.
A viral TikTok video showed one of the women spraying the man with bear spray after alleging the group felt threatened by his behavior.
While some viewers believed the women acted in self-defense, others argued the man was already walking away when he was sprayed.
Highlights
- A TikTok video showed a woman using bear spray during a confrontation with an elderly man on a California hiking trail.
- The women said they acted in self-defense, while critics argued the man appeared to be walking away when he was sprayed.
- Police received reports about the incident, but authorities have not publicly announced any findings.
“He is obviously Karen, but he was walking away, and she a*saulted that man,” one commenter wrote.
RELATED:
A male Karen has gone viral over an argument with a group of women
Image credits: mushy.gooms/TikTok
According to one of the women, she and five friends were hiking to celebrate a birthday when the elderly man confronted them about where they had parked their car.
She claimed there were no visible “No Parking” signs and that other vehicles were parked in the same area.
The woman said the man criticized the group, spoke aggressively, and continued confronting them even after they told him they were leaving.
The viral video began after the argument had already started.
Image credits: mushy.gooms/TikTok
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Image credits: mushy.gooms/TikTok
In the footage, the man, wearing a backpack and holding what appeared to be a fishing rod, walks toward one of the women while pointing the rod in her direction.
Believing another friend was about to be confronted, one woman grabbed the bear spray she had brought for wildlife protection and sprayed him.
The man immediately backed away from the spray, briefly moved forward again, then retreated.
Image credits: mushy.gooms/TikTok
In a follow-up TikTok, one of the women said the group carried bear spray because they planned to hike in an area where wild animals could be present.
She also claimed that the man repeatedly intruded into their personal space during the confrontation.
According to her, the encounter did not end after they left.
She alleged that the man followed their vehicle and threw objects at it as they drove away.
The group later filed a police report, adding they believed they had acted in self-defense.
She also claimed the man later gave police a different version of events.
Authorities have not publicly announced any findings about the incident.
Image credits: darthornock
The TikTok video quickly went viral online as several viewers debated
Image credits: briansxmemes
The video quickly filled with thousands of comments from people taking opposite sides.
“That is a straight up a*sault. He wasn’t even walking towards that girl. I hope he presses charges and we get to see her cry in a booking photo,” one person wrote.
A former police officer shared a similar opinion.
“As a now former police officer, she can be charged with a*sault, and depending on how old he is, those charges could go up if it’s an a*sault on a senior. Was he childish, absolutely, but he was also absolutely walking away from the situation.”
Image credits: mushy.gooms/TikTok
Another commenter wrote, “He wasn’t an angel, but he did start to walk away, and she then decided to attack with a weapon.”
However, others felt differently.
“These young women told him to walk away multiple times, but he refused to listen. They stood their ground and used pepper spray to protect themselves after he ignored their repeated demands,” one viewer argued.
Another added, “All of you are m*rons. He was aggressively walking towards another person off camera. She did good, and he’ll learn from this.”
Image credits: mushy.gooms/TikTok
What do you think? pic.twitter.com/7nc3siCLL6
— Johnny Midnight ⚡️ (@its_The_Dr) July 11, 2026
@mushy.gooms Replying to @peenyweeny #fyp#storytime♬ original sound – L🌺
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The hiking trail is just one of the several recent incidents that have been labeled “male Karen” moments
Image credits: mushy.gooms/TikTok
In June 2026, father Tyler Brodsky went viral after another man confronted him for taking his two young daughters into a women’s restroom at an Alabama gas station.
As reported by Bored Panda, Brodsky explained that the women’s restroom was empty and that he felt it was safer than taking his daughters into a men’s restroom.
The confrontation was captured on video after the man called police.
Officers later arrived, de-escalated the situation, and allowed Brodsky to continue his trip.
The incident sparked another online debate, but the fallout extended beyond social media.
According to People, the man who confronted Brodsky was later fired by the Mississippi real estate company where he worked.
The father later launched a petition calling for more family restrooms in public places so parents would not have to make similar decisions in the future.
Another widely shared “Male Karen” video resurfaced this year from a UK metro station.
The clip showed a young man refusing to move aside from an 8-year-old woman who was trying to get past him on a staircase.
When the woman told him her age, he replied, “Ok. So?”
“Both are wrong”, while some users approve of the girls’ reaction, others are not so convinced
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What do you think ?
Kabuki Kitsune 2 days ago (edited)
Spraying a person with bear spray is generally a felony in the US, typically classified as aggravated a*****t, a*****t with a deadly weapon, or felony battery. Even if you use it in "self defense", you WILL be arrested. The reason it's classified this way, is to deal with bears, the spray is twice as concentrated, and there have been documented cases of people who have died after being sprayed with it. Typically due to respiratory arrest. (IE the spray caused them to stop breathing.) Edit: Update, the video she had posted defending it, has been taken down.
Roxy222uk 2 days ago
One of the reason courts exist is to pick apart situations where it isn’t immediately clear what was legal and what wasn’t.
Load More Replies...
Becky Samuel 2 days ago
Is this really how we're supposed to encourage people to behave now? Okay, he was being annoying in the way he pointed out that they were in the wrong, but to attack him like a pack of savages? The idea that anyone would be pround of these harpies is a joke.
Michael Largey 2 days ago
Right. "Oh, we may have committed a parking violation? Well, why don't we just ramp that up to felony a*****t?"
Load More Replies...
Laura MG 2 days ago
Would they have been in the right to shoot this man in the back with a gun? She would be arrested for that and she should be arrested for this. Also a*****t on a senior citizen is a felony so there's that
Gerry Higgins 2 days ago
Unless he is a physical threat they've no right to spray him. Video looks like he was walking away so.... they should be charged as adults.
The Belinda 2 days ago
None of the 'ladies' were threatend or abus'd (and he is 1 elderly guy)- I hope they lock those shiittgirls up!
meeeeeeeeeeee 18 hours ago
Surely that's a*****t. He was being a yap, but it's no excuse. Twats
Ace 2 days ago
Tried to watch the TikTok, but... are they all like this, that you can't fast forward or skip to the end? Doesn't give any clue how ling a clip it is, I'm not going to sit through un unknown amount of some silly girl chatting, just to see what actually happened. . . OK, as it worked out, by the time I'd typed this it had got to the action. How does she think that not only is her behaviour OK, but it's something to boast about by posting it? She got the spray out as soon as he started talking to her - and with a friend videoing the whole thing it's clear that she just wanted to make it happen. He's not the Karen, she it.
Kabuki Kitsune 2 days ago
Apparently, if you go back through and listen to what he is saying, he was trying to be helpful. He was telling them that parking where they were, would get them a ticket, as the girls had parked right beside a no parking sign. However he used some pretty unkind words with it, but was trying to get the point across that park rangers actively patrol and ticket vehicles that park in that area. He turns to wander off, and is moving away from them when she hits him with the bear spray.
Load More Replies...
Eri J 2 days ago
Everyone says the guy should have walked away. Well, the girls could have done that as well. Gripping is not a reason to spray someone.
antoinette maldari 12 hours ago
Yeah, I see some commenters saying "She stood her ground". It wasn't her ground to stand on, she says they were LITTERALLY (how I hate the misuse of that word) leaving.
Load More Replies... Lisa DeMeyer 1 day ago
First, it's not illegal for someone to be mouthy. It happens all the time. His verbal a*****t on them does not rise to the level of "threatening" girl who b*tchsplained her friend's spraying if the man by saying he was approaching another friend off camera is not supported by evidence. Secondly, if that girl had sprayed me with bear spray, I would have whipped her with my fishing pole too! And probably more! Thirdly, you can't claim you felt threatened by an elderly man when there were six of you. If the six of you are that weak, you probably shouldn't be out hiking in the wilderness anyway!
Forrest Hobbs 2 days ago (edited)
The UK's Firearms Act 1968 forbids the possession of lots of things, including 'any weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other thing;' Just having bear spray is a crime here, let alone using it on a person. *Especially* using in the context of a petty argument over parking. Link follows.
Daya 14 hours ago
This man was talking to them, never approached that close ("intruding her personal space") and he was already walking away. To say that he is approaching another person after that to do the same, is just a wild guess. And to complain about him throwing objects at their car... Who wouldn't after such attack? There was no threatening. They could have just leave the scene peacefully.
terry opila 1 day ago
Just say "Yup, sorry, won't do it again" and get in the car. As much as he engaged, they continued to engage with him. The problem here is that everyone wants to "win" and everything then just escalates unnecessarily. Just comply and walk away. Done. I would be far more proud of my daughter for doing that rather than spraying someone with bear spray.
I “TG99755” MD 1 day ago
She would have gotten a fishing rod to the side of her head. A*****t=response
Apatheist 2 days ago
TIL there's a thing called "bear spray". Are there different versions for coyote, moose, bison etc?
Kabuki Kitsune 2 days ago
Bear spray is, basically, pepper spray but worse. It's on average two (sometimes even up to ten) times stronger than regular pepper spray, and under enough pressure that it can break a person's skin if the nozzle is held too close. Unlike regular pepper spray, it fogs an area at a distance, where regular pepper spray is a simple stream. Bear spray is actually strong enough that, if used against a person, it can lead to respiratory arrest, and if CPR isn't performed... d eath.
Load More Replies...
Steven Ricketts 11 hours ago (edited)
Imagine the uproar if this was flipped and it was a man spraying a woman...
Kabuki Kitsune 9 hours ago
Park rangers. That's one of the ways state parks get funding.
Load More Replies... 
FranSinclair 10 hours ago
I was ready to defend the man but when hes "walking away" doesnt it look like hes actually turning to walk aggressively at the young lady by the white cars passenger side who said "we're leaving" right before that? That changes so much for me if thats the case bc it looks like hes about to head towards her angrily. When he "walks away" he goes the opposite direction? Im not saying anythings right or wrong or anything, im just asking yinz opinions
Kabuki Kitsune 9 hours ago
Doesn't matter. Bear Spray is one of the very few things, that it's always a felony to use against a person, regardless of the reasons. There's not a single state in the union, where the girl's act is defensible. The fact that she's since deleted her response video, would suggest either A.) her attorney told her to, or B.) She's realized she screwed up, and is doing damage control hoping she stays out of jail.
Load More Replies...
StrangeOne 2 days ago
Both parties are in the wrong. She shouldn't be so confident her group did nothing wrong. This whole thing could have been avoided if the man walked away, and the women just left.
Gracie Jay 11 hours ago
I think she was legally in the wrong. If it were my daughter, I’d say good job, now we need to find a great attorney. Those girls are so young, I don’t know what that man was thinking, confronting them like that, especially when he knew they were literally leaving, on their way out. And he may have turned away from the girl that sprayed him but he turned toward another girl, right off camera. As an adult, I would’ve been on high alert, wondering if he was going to get violent. It takes a lot to overcome fear and stick up for yourself, it took me until mid twenties to learn how. I say good for her.
Kabuki Kitsune 9 hours ago
If it were your daughter... odds are you'd have an attorney noting that it's felony charges... and there's no defense for the action. (This is one of the few things in all 50 states, that there's no justification to use on a person.)
Load More Replies...
Chaotic Good 12 hours ago (edited)
There's a second video that shows he was approaching another girl on the other side. But I forgot about Comment Section Legal Experts who believe nothing can exist off-screen.
Alex Martin 2 days ago
He was approaching a person who was in the white car. You hear that person speak, he turns to them, and quickly moves towards the off screen speaker. There is an argument to be made that he presented a threat and the bear spray person was acting in defense of another. I don't think its a strong argument. This one is for a jury to decide. Yet another situation where minding your own business would have saved everyone a lot of grief.
Kabuki Kitsune 2 days ago
Ironically, it's more a case of "listening" would saved everyone a lot of grief. He's telling them that the rangers are out and about, ticketing, and potentially towing vehicles. Issue being, the girls had parked right in front of a "No Parking" sign. Now, here's the thing about bear spray. Because it's as strong as it is, in all 50 US states, using it against a person for ANY reason... is a felony, with penalties that can reach up to 20 years in prison with aggravating factors, one being using it against a senior citizen. It falls under a$$ault with a deadly weapon, or a$$ault and battery.
Load More Replies...
FreeTheUnicorn 2 days ago
Feeling threatened and being in physical danger are different. It's th reasonable person standard would a reasonable person think their life was in immediate jeopardy? That's the standard that is supposed to be enforced, and should be enforced. If someone is scolded in a bar so glasses the person scolding, it's still felony a*****t. This man was an a*****e, but didn't say he was going to hurt them, didn't brandish a weapon. Didn't a*****t them. Until one of those happens, the girl started it, used an offensive weapon and should be tried for her actions. To not do this just invited justifying a*****t with "I was uncomfortable"
Load More Replies...
Герберт Майн 17 hours ago
So is it ok for a european woman to a*****t a man with a deadly weapon for being rude?..
Load More Replies...
Kabuki Kitsune 2 days ago
Congratulations. Lighting him up, as you put it, classifies as felony aggravated a$$ault, a$$ault with a deadly weapon, and felony battery. That's before adding in the aggravating factors like a$$ault against a senior citizen. So... potentially as much as 15 to 20 years in prison. Is it really worth it?
Load More Replies... Kabuki Kitsune 2 days ago (edited)
Spraying a person with bear spray is generally a felony in the US, typically classified as aggravated a*****t, a*****t with a deadly weapon, or felony battery. Even if you use it in "self defense", you WILL be arrested. The reason it's classified this way, is to deal with bears, the spray is twice as concentrated, and there have been documented cases of people who have died after being sprayed with it. Typically due to respiratory arrest. (IE the spray caused them to stop breathing.) Edit: Update, the video she had posted defending it, has been taken down.
Roxy222uk 2 days ago
One of the reason courts exist is to pick apart situations where it isn’t immediately clear what was legal and what wasn’t.
Load More Replies... Becky Samuel 2 days ago
Is this really how we're supposed to encourage people to behave now? Okay, he was being annoying in the way he pointed out that they were in the wrong, but to attack him like a pack of savages? The idea that anyone would be pround of these harpies is a joke.
Michael Largey 2 days ago
Right. "Oh, we may have committed a parking violation? Well, why don't we just ramp that up to felony a*****t?"
Load More Replies... Laura MG 2 days ago
Would they have been in the right to shoot this man in the back with a gun? She would be arrested for that and she should be arrested for this. Also a*****t on a senior citizen is a felony so there's that
Gerry Higgins 2 days ago
Unless he is a physical threat they've no right to spray him. Video looks like he was walking away so.... they should be charged as adults.
The Belinda 2 days ago
None of the 'ladies' were threatend or abus'd (and he is 1 elderly guy)- I hope they lock those shiittgirls up!
meeeeeeeeeeee 18 hours ago
Surely that's a*****t. He was being a yap, but it's no excuse. Twats
Ace 2 days ago
Tried to watch the TikTok, but... are they all like this, that you can't fast forward or skip to the end? Doesn't give any clue how ling a clip it is, I'm not going to sit through un unknown amount of some silly girl chatting, just to see what actually happened. . . OK, as it worked out, by the time I'd typed this it had got to the action. How does she think that not only is her behaviour OK, but it's something to boast about by posting it? She got the spray out as soon as he started talking to her - and with a friend videoing the whole thing it's clear that she just wanted to make it happen. He's not the Karen, she it.
Kabuki Kitsune 2 days ago
Apparently, if you go back through and listen to what he is saying, he was trying to be helpful. He was telling them that parking where they were, would get them a ticket, as the girls had parked right beside a no parking sign. However he used some pretty unkind words with it, but was trying to get the point across that park rangers actively patrol and ticket vehicles that park in that area. He turns to wander off, and is moving away from them when she hits him with the bear spray.
Load More Replies... Eri J 2 days ago
Everyone says the guy should have walked away. Well, the girls could have done that as well. Gripping is not a reason to spray someone.
antoinette maldari 12 hours ago
Yeah, I see some commenters saying "She stood her ground". It wasn't her ground to stand on, she says they were LITTERALLY (how I hate the misuse of that word) leaving.
Load More Replies... Lisa DeMeyer 1 day ago
First, it's not illegal for someone to be mouthy. It happens all the time. His verbal a*****t on them does not rise to the level of "threatening" girl who b*tchsplained her friend's spraying if the man by saying he was approaching another friend off camera is not supported by evidence. Secondly, if that girl had sprayed me with bear spray, I would have whipped her with my fishing pole too! And probably more! Thirdly, you can't claim you felt threatened by an elderly man when there were six of you. If the six of you are that weak, you probably shouldn't be out hiking in the wilderness anyway!
Forrest Hobbs 2 days ago (edited)
The UK's Firearms Act 1968 forbids the possession of lots of things, including 'any weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other thing;' Just having bear spray is a crime here, let alone using it on a person. *Especially* using in the context of a petty argument over parking. Link follows.
Daya 14 hours ago
This man was talking to them, never approached that close ("intruding her personal space") and he was already walking away. To say that he is approaching another person after that to do the same, is just a wild guess. And to complain about him throwing objects at their car... Who wouldn't after such attack? There was no threatening. They could have just leave the scene peacefully.
terry opila 1 day ago
Just say "Yup, sorry, won't do it again" and get in the car. As much as he engaged, they continued to engage with him. The problem here is that everyone wants to "win" and everything then just escalates unnecessarily. Just comply and walk away. Done. I would be far more proud of my daughter for doing that rather than spraying someone with bear spray.
I “TG99755” MD 1 day ago
She would have gotten a fishing rod to the side of her head. A*****t=response
Apatheist 2 days ago
TIL there's a thing called "bear spray". Are there different versions for coyote, moose, bison etc?
Kabuki Kitsune 2 days ago
Bear spray is, basically, pepper spray but worse. It's on average two (sometimes even up to ten) times stronger than regular pepper spray, and under enough pressure that it can break a person's skin if the nozzle is held too close. Unlike regular pepper spray, it fogs an area at a distance, where regular pepper spray is a simple stream. Bear spray is actually strong enough that, if used against a person, it can lead to respiratory arrest, and if CPR isn't performed... d eath.
Load More Replies... Steven Ricketts 11 hours ago (edited)
Imagine the uproar if this was flipped and it was a man spraying a woman...
Kabuki Kitsune 9 hours ago
Park rangers. That's one of the ways state parks get funding.
Load More Replies... FranSinclair 10 hours ago
I was ready to defend the man but when hes "walking away" doesnt it look like hes actually turning to walk aggressively at the young lady by the white cars passenger side who said "we're leaving" right before that? That changes so much for me if thats the case bc it looks like hes about to head towards her angrily. When he "walks away" he goes the opposite direction? Im not saying anythings right or wrong or anything, im just asking yinz opinions
Kabuki Kitsune 9 hours ago
Doesn't matter. Bear Spray is one of the very few things, that it's always a felony to use against a person, regardless of the reasons. There's not a single state in the union, where the girl's act is defensible. The fact that she's since deleted her response video, would suggest either A.) her attorney told her to, or B.) She's realized she screwed up, and is doing damage control hoping she stays out of jail.
Load More Replies... StrangeOne 2 days ago
Both parties are in the wrong. She shouldn't be so confident her group did nothing wrong. This whole thing could have been avoided if the man walked away, and the women just left.
Gracie Jay 11 hours ago
I think she was legally in the wrong. If it were my daughter, I’d say good job, now we need to find a great attorney. Those girls are so young, I don’t know what that man was thinking, confronting them like that, especially when he knew they were literally leaving, on their way out. And he may have turned away from the girl that sprayed him but he turned toward another girl, right off camera. As an adult, I would’ve been on high alert, wondering if he was going to get violent. It takes a lot to overcome fear and stick up for yourself, it took me until mid twenties to learn how. I say good for her.
Kabuki Kitsune 9 hours ago
If it were your daughter... odds are you'd have an attorney noting that it's felony charges... and there's no defense for the action. (This is one of the few things in all 50 states, that there's no justification to use on a person.)
Load More Replies... Chaotic Good 12 hours ago (edited)
There's a second video that shows he was approaching another girl on the other side. But I forgot about Comment Section Legal Experts who believe nothing can exist off-screen.
Alex Martin 2 days ago
He was approaching a person who was in the white car. You hear that person speak, he turns to them, and quickly moves towards the off screen speaker. There is an argument to be made that he presented a threat and the bear spray person was acting in defense of another. I don't think its a strong argument. This one is for a jury to decide. Yet another situation where minding your own business would have saved everyone a lot of grief.
Kabuki Kitsune 2 days ago
Ironically, it's more a case of "listening" would saved everyone a lot of grief. He's telling them that the rangers are out and about, ticketing, and potentially towing vehicles. Issue being, the girls had parked right in front of a "No Parking" sign. Now, here's the thing about bear spray. Because it's as strong as it is, in all 50 US states, using it against a person for ANY reason... is a felony, with penalties that can reach up to 20 years in prison with aggravating factors, one being using it against a senior citizen. It falls under a$$ault with a deadly weapon, or a$$ault and battery.
Load More Replies... FreeTheUnicorn 2 days ago
Feeling threatened and being in physical danger are different. It's th reasonable person standard would a reasonable person think their life was in immediate jeopardy? That's the standard that is supposed to be enforced, and should be enforced. If someone is scolded in a bar so glasses the person scolding, it's still felony a*****t. This man was an a*****e, but didn't say he was going to hurt them, didn't brandish a weapon. Didn't a*****t them. Until one of those happens, the girl started it, used an offensive weapon and should be tried for her actions. To not do this just invited justifying a*****t with "I was uncomfortable"
Load More Replies... Герберт Майн 17 hours ago
So is it ok for a european woman to a*****t a man with a deadly weapon for being rude?..
Load More Replies... Kabuki Kitsune 2 days ago
Congratulations. Lighting him up, as you put it, classifies as felony aggravated a$$ault, a$$ault with a deadly weapon, and felony battery. That's before adding in the aggravating factors like a$$ault against a senior citizen. So... potentially as much as 15 to 20 years in prison. Is it really worth it?
Load More Replies... Related on Bored Panda
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