I wrote about how I was assaulted by a gang of Occupy Toronto’s Black Bloc a couple of months ago. It was pretty brutal- one of them (now known as Flagpole Alex) came running up to me and smashed me over the head with a large wooden flagpole, then three others came running up to me and started kicking me while I was down. It was really heroic of them- and the perfect evidence that the activist community cannot tolerate their presence at local demonstrations.
The police showed-up that night, right as the ambulance was taking me away to the hospital. They followed the ambulance and took my interview in the waiting room. The next morning I sent an email to Detective Williams who was assigned to me case and sent him pictures and the first names of the people who attacked me. Then, two days after my assault, they sent officers to my home to take pictures of my injuries and to collect a copy of the hospital’s report.
This was the last time I heard from the detective for a few weeks. I tried calling him, and left messages, several times- but he never got back to me. Then, on July 10, I saw one of the people who assaulted me (Adam) at the anarchist’s rally for the beating of Angela Turvey. I pointed him out to the police who were there, they called Detective William’s desk and were told not to detain him because they already knew his name. They also said that they knew the name of Flagpole Alex.
I began to feel a bit safer knowing that they would soon be arrested. The problem is that they weren’t, and they haven’t been arrested to-date. So, I spent a couple more weeks trying to get in contact with Detective Williams. Finally, I was told that he was on vacation and wouldn’t be back until August 20th. I spoke with his boss and asked for someone else to be assigned to the case, but he told me to wait. To be honest, I was in total shock about this- I thought the Toronto police took assaults seriously- particularly when they are gang related.
Finally, on August 14th, Detective Williams got in contact with me, he wrote an email that blew my socks off:
“Only one male has been identified based on the information you supplied. Attempts have been made to locate this male to no avail. I am still working on trying to identify the male you know as ‘Adam’.”
Say what? I was both angry and confused. As I’ve explained, I’ve pointed-out Adam to officers of the 52 division in front of City Hall back on July 10th. They specifically told me that they didn’t need to stop him and ask his name because they had it! In my opinion, this was the height of incompetence.
Flagpole Alex’s new look…
As for identifying Flagpole Alex, I can maybe understand why they haven’t found him yet. Alex has drastically changed his look- he has new glasses (the TPS have his old ones), he cut his hair short (used to have a ponytail), and he has trimmed his beard to be a lot shorter. You can see this in the above picture- which, by the way, was taken at the University of Toronto during the training meetings for the people trying to organize an Ontario student strike this fall.
Somehow the Toronto Police Service seems to have lost its way when it comes to dealing with assaults. I’m not the only person who has had such experiences- David Menzies of Sun News had a similar incident when he was assaulted by a Muslim man after taking pictures at Dundas Square. Rather than go through work of booking the bad guys, they seem to feel it is okay now to let violent people walk the streets unhindered.
I have to wonder how many other people there are out there who have been attacked for political reasons and haven’t yet seen justice. Is it that assaults aren’t important enough? Is one of the people involved a police asset? Their lack of action just doesn’t make any sense.
I will be escalating this issue to TPS Chief Blair this week- hopefully he can put some fire under Detective Williams and get him to do his job and arrest these people…
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I’ve noticed this too, they take reports but then appear to do absolutely nothing to investigate then dismiss them. And people pretend like the cops are actually catching criminals. The hell they are! They catch some but only the ones high profile enough or stupid enough to rat themselves out. And indeed what seems straight forward and obvious to you as something a cop should be-able to do becomes an irrational issue with the system because it has decided to ignore your case, for whatever reasons. I’ve had this happen many times with the cops they are fucking useless. Hardly worthy of the title “peace officer” more like “meter maids” and social usurpers of money. Tax agents for the government, and their enforcers.
Author
Yeah, I imagine if they could collect fines for an assault charge they’d be right on this one! lol
Oh, based on your earlier emails I thought the Alex who assaulted you was Alex Hundert. It’s not?
Author
No, not this assault. I was lightly attacked by Alex Hundert back in April, but it was not nearly as serious as this assault…
It seems like the only way to get justice now a days is to pay out. I bet if you got a lawyer involved things would speed up. Just my opinion but I’ve had similar inaction from cop’s myself and I’m pretty jaded now.
Author
Indeed. I walked into this with great trust for the TPS- that is fading quickly…
Someone in the US tried to get the TPS interested in the Magnotta video (this was before the victim was discovered and the crime hit the news). Our Finest just shrugged and wouldn’t do anything.
Author
I didn’t know that- will have to look it up. Thanks for sharing- very interesting…
Further evidence to my earlier statement that the issue most Canadians have with the police is apathy and inaction. Not police brutality.
Those who followed the G20 riots from the start saw a great example inaction by the TPS. I am talking about the first day. When the police let people in masks destroy the city and did nothing. They just sat and watched these thugs break the law. After a public outcry by the residents of Toronto the police overreacted and started arresting people left right and centre. If they had just enforced the law in the first place none of this would have happened. Their inaction only made things more difficult for them down the road.
The very real possibility is that these people work for domestic/foreign intelligence services. Finding evidence of that is difficult, but if police will not do anything about a violent criminal, it begs the question of “why”? And because their files are secret and not subject to freedom of information, we have no idea of this person’s file has a “flag” in it that causes them to treat him differently. The only way to be sure about that will be open access to all police files, like court documents. They should only be sealed if a Judge orders it.
Author
Indeed, I’ll be writing on that subject tonight or tomorrow…
People are mad with the police because of selected inaction. It always depends on the case, media attention, and career grandstanding. Then again this is the same with everyone and life. Selective apathy.
I know I know…my brother was stabbed at a party and suffered life threatening injuries. My family was given the exact same treatment. The detective ignored ignored ignored then went on holidays. Was also very rude to my family.
Author
I’m sorry to hear that. It seems that the TPS have a lot of cleaning-up house to do. This sort of incompetence (if it is that) is not what the people of Toronto expect from their police force. What ever happened to “To Serve And Protect”?
Remember, you can also take your case to a JP and swear an information. If you have good-faith belief that you were assaulted by someone, you can put it in an Information Form and attest it before a Justice of the Peace. You can also privately prosecute the matter, tho I suspect that if you filed the information and there were a reasonable chance of conviction, the Crown would want to pick it up.
The Police tend to be afraid of violent anarchists—most of them, given the choice between 9 easy busts and 1 hard one will take the 9 easy, even tho the 1 hard one is what “keeps us safe”, hyuck hyuck. If these are people willing to attack you in broad daylight, Greg, what might they do to State Authorities? These aren’t pacifist hippies chanting Peace and Love. These are violent little morons.
Also, if you see Alex again and believe he is the one who assaulted you, you may arrest him, and you may deliver him to a peace officer. Or someone else may. It all depends on how much grief you’re willing to get for yourself in order to help stop a violent criminal.
Standing Water, the arrest scenario you mention can only be applied at the moment a crime is taking place, not after is has occurred. only the police can make an arrest of a crime and subsequent criminal after a period of time that the crime has taken place.
Author
That’s true, I learned that while researching Kevin Annett’s claim people could do citizens arrests on priests.
Could be that they have bigger plans for these people than your assault complaint. My father once filed a complaint against a man and was stonewalled. In the end the cops recommended that he not pursue the case in his best interests. Turns out the guy was taken down as a huge mob drug kingpin a few months later. He had a violent history. Not saying anything this drastic is going on but it does make you wonder if something else is in the works.
Author
It could be – but they lied to me then. You’d think they would have just discouraged me if that was true. When the police lie they kill their credibility…
He is obviously either an informant or provocateur working for them.
Author
I’m beginning to think that one of these two guys is. Why else would the police be playing games in this situation? I’ll be writing an article on the Black Bloc and police/government involvement later today…
The Toronto Police Service, ha,ha,ha, a real joke and near complete waste of Taxpayer dollars. Patrick Santos was murdered years ago and still no justice. New Years Day a murder occurred outside St.Lois Bar and Grill 2016. All the cruisers showed at the scene instead of cutting off key exit points away from the scene and it took then 3 days to interview apartment dwellers with a birds eye view of the crime scene. From the time you call 911 and have to deal with those control freak operators to waiting for reaction I can honestly say IT IS NOT WORTH IT. They do not care so why should you. Society is on the slide and the existing members of the TPS are on the same sled. The Americans seem to really have a good clearance rate when it comes to solving murders and I am quite sure that the TPS clearance rate is very dismal and a complete waste of Tax Dollars. If you have a camera that captures the crime it would be best you make your own citizen arrest and hire your own lawyer to prosecute because the Crowns office is another big joke,. Ghomeshi and his trial are clear evidence to support my claims.