Armed Forces member hospitalized after assault during poppy drive in Hamilton
A 59-year-old Canadian Armed Forces member was seriously injured after being attacked while supervising air cadets in Hamilton. A 12-year-old boy and a 48-year-old woman face aggravated assault charges.
Canadian Armed Forces member suffers life-altering injuries in Hamilton restaurant attack
A 59-year-old Canadian Armed Forces member was taken to hospital with serious injuries on Sunday after being allegedly attacked while overseeing two air cadets selling poppies outside a restaurant in Hamilton, Toronto Sun Crime reports.
Hamilton Police said the incident began outside a Mandarin restaurant at The Centre on Barton, where a 12-year-old boy and an 11-year-old companion approached the air cadets and blew a loud air horn directly into their ears.
When the Armed Forces member confronted the youths inside the restaurant, a struggle broke out. A female bystander then intervened, assaulting the man and causing him to fall to the ground.
Hamilton Police Const. Trevor McKenna told the Hamilton Spectator that the woman tripped the man, and one of the boys sucker-punched and stomped on him. The 12-year-old allegedly struck the victim several times before leaving the premises.
Officers who responded to the scene found the man with serious injuries. He was transported to a local hospital.
"His injuries are considered life-altering," Hamilton Police said in a news release.
According to a CBC report, the injured man is the commanding officer of the local air cadet squadron. A Department of National Defence spokesperson confirmed that an Armed Forces member was injured in the incident.
"The well-being of everyone involved in the Cadet Program remains our priority, and we are focused on supporting the affected member and their family in their recovery at this time," DND spokesperson Suzanne Lalande said in a statement. "We are grateful for the efforts of police and first responders, and will review this incident and take appropriate follow-on action as required," she added.
The two alleged youth attackers were located by police following a separate, unrelated disturbance at a nearby store. The woman left the scene before officers arrived and was arrested Monday morning.
The 12-year-old has been charged with assault level one and aggravated assault. His name cannot be released under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The 48-year-old woman was charged with aggravated assault. Police also did not release her name.
The 11-year-old was not charged. Hamilton Police spokesperson Jackie Penman told the Sun that the boy was too young to face criminal charges, and that surveillance footage showed he was "not involved on the same level" as the 12-year-old.
The attack occurred during the annual Legion poppy campaign, in which Royal Canadian Air Cadets squadrons across Canada volunteer to distribute poppies and collect donations. Funds raised support Canadian military veterans, active service members and their families through financial assistance covering housing, food, medical equipment, and local support programs.
Source: Toronto Sun Crime