Kelowna`s transit exchange downtown.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

Kelowna RCMP arrested a young man who they believe assaulted a Sikh teenager at a bus stop on Monday.

“While the effects of bear spray are extremely painful and may only be temporary, the effects of this young man’s decisions will last much much longer,” Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Michael Gauthier said in a press release.

The suspect is in custody and will appear in court for a bail hearing today, Sept. 14.

The young man is suspected of using bear spray on a 17-year-old Sikh student at a bus stop after they were kicked off a bus for getting into an altercation.

READ MORE: Sikh student bear sprayed at Kelowna bus stop.

Police are gathering video evidence to build a case against the suspects.

“This evidence will be important for police and prosecutors to understand what led up to the assault with a weapon and the motivation for the crime. There is no doubt that the victim was bear sprayed and assaulted by the accused; this has been made quite clear.” Cpl. Gauthier said.

The World Sikh Organization of Canada says it's deeply concerned by the latest incident that it says began when two people tried to bar the Grade 11 student from boarding, then got on with him and began threatening him with a lighter, filming the interaction on their phones.

A statement issued by the organization on Wednesday says the assailants began kicking and punching the student, a newcomer to Canada, before the bus driver kicked them all off the bus, and the attackers pepper sprayed the teenager before bystanders got involved.

In March, Kelowna RCMP said a Sikh international student was hit from behind as he got off a bus, and hate crime investigators were being consulted.

RCMP are not providing further details at this time.

— With files from The Canadian Press

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