A Winnipeg man is sharing his story about a violent encounter that ended with him getting sprayed in the face with a painful substance.

Brian Koshul is the owner of Upstairs in the Village, a lounge and night club located in Osborne Village.

He said he was helping a customer to a vehicle Sunday morning around 1:30 a.m., when he saw people on the street in a scuffle.

Koshul said he saw people in the crowd get sprayed and told the person to stop. That's when he says the canister was pointed at him.

“The eyes, can't breathe, the skin, all contact from the bear spay is quite the burn," Koshul said.

Winnipeg Police said Monday the major crimes unit is investigating.

Koshul said the person with the canister was part of a group that was turned away from his bar.

He said after using milk, shampoo and dish soap to get the substance off, he's still feeling the effects.

"Some of the burn areas, especially in my ear cavity. I went to the hospital and they flushed it out, I still use calamine to have a good night's sleep.

The Osborne Village Biz told CTV News it will provide Winnipeg police as much information as possible about the incident and encourages police to have a presence in the area as a deterrent.

The city councillor for the area, Sherri Rollins tells CTV News, she'd like to see more police foot patrols, and is involved in conversations about it with the community.

Brian Koshul says his place has a capacity of around 400 people and has eight doormen working on busy weekend nights.

He believes having more police around would make a big difference.

"It's safe to be in my bar guaranteed, but it’s not always safe when you mix, alcohol and young kids at 2 a.m."

