A London, Ont. man is facing charges after he allegedly beat a stranger with a shovel and smashed the windshield of the victim’s truck Tuesday afternoon.
According to the London Police Service, at approximately 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, a man parked his truck in a parking lot in the area of Highbury Avenue North and Cheapside Street and went into a restaurant.
During this time, police said a citizen witnessed an unknown man approach the truck and remove a shovel from an attached trailer. The man then struck the front windshield with the shovel, causing damage to the window.
The owner of the truck was notified of the incident, and police were then contacted.
Police said the truck owner observed the suspect a short distance away, and when he engaged in a conversation with the suspect, the suspect ran towards the victim and swung the shovel, striking the victim several times.
The victim and suspect became involved in a physical altercation with each other, before the suspect fled the scene on foot.
Police then attended the scene and arrested the suspect male in the area of Michael and Cheapside streets.
The victim and suspect were not known to each other prior to the incident.
The victim suffered minor injuries as a result of the assault.
As a result of the investigation, a 27-year-old man from London has been charged with the following offences for his alleged involvement:
- Mischief under $5,000
- Assault with a weapon
The accused is expected to appear in London court on Aug. 3 in relation to the charges.
