Elderly man pepper-sprayed after dog peed on neighbour’s lawn: police

A man in New York has been arrested after pepper spraying his elderly neighbour over the victim’s dog urinating on the suspect’s lawn, according to Long Island police.

Detectives say David Likhtiger went over to his neighbour’s home late Tuesday night and began banging on the door. When 75-year-old Alan Wharton answered the door, he was pepper sprayed.

“I opened up the door and I said, ‘What can I do for you?’ Next thing I know he’s cursing me out and I said, ‘Enough’s enough. OK?’ I said, ‘Please do me a favor go home,’” Wharton told WCBS 880 in New York.

“Next thing I know he pushes something in my face and sprays something in my face. At that point I just closed the door and ran to the sink because it was burning like crazy,” the retired schoolteacher explained.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Next thing I know he pushes something in my face and sprays something in my face. At that point I just closed the door and ran to the sink because it was burning like crazy," the retired schoolteacher explained.

This is reportedly just the latest incident in the long-running feud between the neighbours.

The elderly man says the two tussled last summer after his neighbour threw tomatoes at him and rocks at his dog.

“He attacked me, and he kicked me, and I punched him in the face to defend myself,” he said.

Likhtiger was arraigned on second-degree assault charges Wednesday.