CRIME SCENE: Man found not criminally responsible for assault on the lam
CRIME SCENE: Man found not criminally responsible for assault on the lam
Martin Hall, 41, went missing from a Toronto psychiatric facility. Toronto Police said he was found not criminally responsible for crimes of assault and carrying a concealed weapon. (Toronto Police handout) (Credit: Toronto Police)
A 41-year-old man who was found not criminally responsible for assault and carrying a concealed weapon has gone missing from a psychiatric facility in Toronto, according to police.
Toronto Police issued an alert, saying Martin Hall was last seen on Monday at 1 p.m., in the Ossington Ave.-Queen St. area.
Hall is described as 6-foot-3, with a heavy build, short brown hair, a full beard, a moustache, and blue eyes.
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He was ordered held at a psychiatric facility after being found not criminally responsible for assault and carrying a concealed weapon.
Police cautioned people not to approach him and urged anyone who spots Hall to call 911.
LCBO theft
Thieves who allegedly ripped off an LCBO in Port Perry were captured after they crashed their escape vehicle, according to Durham Regional Police.
Following the theft, the booze thieves allegedly fled the area in a stolen vehicle, which was located by officers a short distance away after it was involved in a minor single-vehicle crash at Hwy. 12 and Reach St., according to police.
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Three suspects were arrested at the scene. No one suffered injuries.
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Bilal Ghumman, 26, of Markham, faces charges, including shoplifiting offences, failing to stop for police-pursuit, driving while under suspension and failing to comply with release order.
Allah Manj, 19, of Vaughan, and a 17-year-old boy, who can't be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, faces theft-related charges.
Parking enforcement officer assaulted
A 49-year-old Toronto man has been accused of assaulting a parking enforcement officer who was handing out a ticket.
The officer was issuing a ticket in the Cosburn-Donlands Ave. area around 5:45p.m. on April 29.
Police alleged the officer was assaulted while attempting to complete a parking violation notice.
Qifu Chen has been charged with assault peace officer with weapon.
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Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Are there any bears here?' Hamilton kids, some as young as 10, are armed with bear spray. What can be done?
Kids are using bear spray in swarmings, robberies, assaults and large brawls. Hamilton police are seizing it from high school lockers and from teens and children — some as young as 10 years old — who have armed themselves for 'protection' or to hurt others. These concerning incidents, which police warn are on the rise, are behind a request for the City of Hamilton to consider a bylaw regulating the sale of the noxious substance. There is no reason anyone needs bear spray in the city, said Ward 7 Coun. Esther Pauls, who is putting forward a motion to the general issues committee June 11. Project Street Light is targeting youth crime on the Mountain, following swarmings, assaults and 'Are there any bears here?' she asked, incredulously. 'Have you seen any?' Crimes involving a 'burning liquid spray,' including bear spray and mace, have more than doubled in the last four years, according to an analysis by police. And assault with a weapon and weapon possession offences were one of only a handful of categories of youth crime that rose last year, while other types of crimes committed by young people fell. There were 138 crimes involving a burning liquid spray last year, compared to 68 in 2020. This year, there were 41 incidents as of April 24, and police know there have been more since, said Supt. Dave Hennick, whose duties include overseeing youth crime and some aspects of crime prevention. 'There has been a troubling increase in the amount of incidents involving bear spray in city,' he said, adding that is why police are pushing for a proactive approach to keep the city safer. Hennick requested the statistical analysis because of those concerns and then reached out to Pauls. The motion asks city staff to investigate the feasibility of a bylaw to regulate the sale of 'deterrent spray' in Hamilton. Both Hennick and Pauls noted with alarm that there have been incidents in Hamilton involving offenders as young as 10. Children younger than 12 cannot be charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. 'It's unbelievable,' said Pauls, who is also a member of the police board. More than half the incidents documented by police involve young offenders between the ages of 10 and 19, while nearly half the victims are also young. Bear spray — made with capsaicin, the compound that makes chili peppers spicy — causes burning eyes, throat and skin irritation and can temporarily cause difficulty seeing or breathing. It's only intended use is in the wilderness, to deter bear or wildlife attacks. Hamilton police are seizing bear spray from high school lockers and from teens and children — some as young as 10 years old — who have armed themselves for 'protection' or to hurt others. Hennick said this is important because not only are younger people more likely to arm themselves with bear spray, they are more likely to be victims as well. Other cities in Canada have reported similar increases in bear spray incidents, with some taking steps to explore or impose bylaws, including Vancouver, Burnaby, Edmonton and Winnipeg. In March, for instance, the City of Kelowna in B.C. approved a bylaw that limits the sale to adults, requires businesses to keep records of sales for three years and requires sprays be kept out of the reach of public. Hennick said the hope is a Hamilton bylaw would limit the sale to those 19 and older, set expectations to retailers, such as checking identification and keep records of sales, and keep bear spray and mace out of reach of youths. 'I feel like this is a responsible step for us,' he said. Beyond enacting laws in Hamilton, Hennick said the hope is the city will also appeal to the Attorney General and Solicitor General to push for provincial changes. While it's not clear exactly why there has been such an increase in bear spray incidents, police believe the fact that it is easily accessible is part of the reason it has become the weapon of choice for many youth. It's simply easier to get than other weapons. The incidents in Hamilton have included fights between high school students and robberies. Paid duty officers have been required for security at the McDonalds near Lime Ridge Mall because of bear spray and other violent incidents involving teens. Many of the incidents are happening in Division 3, which covers the Hamilton Mountain, along with Flamborough, Dundas, Ancaster and Binbrook/Glanbrook. This area is also the most populous of the three policing divisions. Spike comes amid warning that the substance has become 'accessible weapon of choice' for In October, 15-year-old Jayden Russell was killed in a crash on the Lincoln Alexander Parkway. He was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a street race that happened amid escalating conflict between students at his high school, St. Jean de Brébeuf, and another, Nora Frances Henderson, that involved a large brawl and bear spray incidents. Last month, a 15-year-old was charged after allegedly forcing his way into a home and assaulting a family with bear spray and a knife. A nine-month-old baby was among those affected by the bear spray. According to the 2024 youth crime report, there were 959 young people between 12 and 17 involved in crime in Hamilton last year. This was a 1.5 per cent decrease from 2023, but 2.9 per cent higher than the five-year average. Bear spray use among kids is on the rise. Despite the overall decrease, several key areas of youth crime increased year-over-year in 2024. Assault with a weapon increased by 29 per cent to 84 incidents, possession of weapons increased by 53 per cent to 23 incidents, disturbances increased by 75 per cent to 21 incidents and vehicle thefts increased by 32 per cent to 29 incidents. Vehicle thefts have been a problem across the province, with 1,625 vehicles reported stolen in Hamilton alone last year. The issue is not just related to young offenders, but youths are among those charged. In some Hamilton cases, the thefts appear to be crimes of opportunity, including 'warm up thefts' where vehicles left running are stolen. For instance, a man missed the birth of his second child in Hamilton because teens allegedly stole his car while he was picking his daughter up from daycare. However, other incidents appear more organized, with people using trackers and cloned key fobs to steal vehicles from driveways. On May 29, three Hamilton teens were arrested and charged after an investigation by Niagara police into an alleged organized auto theft ring tied to 40 stolen vehicles. Police alleged electronic trackers were used to follow and steal primarily Lexus and Toyota vehicles from residential neighbourhoods. The stolen vehicles were brought to Hamilton, where their factory-installed trackers were disabled before being transported to Montreal and placed in shipping containers bound for Iraq. In the middle of the night on May 27, police were called to Rymal and Fletcher roads for people trying to steal vehicles from driveways. When officers arrived, they saw a group of teens flee in a white van. The van was abandoned on the side of Fletcher Road and police arrested an 11-year-old and a 14-year old nearby. The older child was charged. Nicole O'Reilly is a reporter at The Hamilton Spectator. noreilly@ Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
New York Post
4 days ago
- New York Post
‘Hall of Fame' repeat offender with some 230 arrests in trouble again with 4 busts in past month
The serial transit offender with about 230 total arrests who cops slammed as a candidate for the subway crime 'Hall of Fame' is in trouble again as he racked up four more busts over the past month before being dumped back onto the street, law enforcement sources said. Michael Wilson, 37 – who sources say committed 90 percent of his crimes in the subway system – was nabbed for the 25th time this year on Tuesday for allegedly riding between cars on a train passing through the 42nd Street-Times Square station, according to the sources. He then lied about his personal info to arresting officers, according to the sources. 4 Michael Wilson, 37, who has 170 arrests on his record, was most recently busted for riding between subway cars, sources said. Obtained by NY Post Wilson was also busted on May 25 for allegedly lying across multiple seats on a train car in Brooklyn, police said. On May 12, he was nabbed for allegedly smoking crack cocaine on a staircase at Riverside Drive and 104th Street on the Upper West Side, and then tossing the residue down the steps, cops and sources said. And on May 6, Wilson was charged with allegedly smoking crack on a moving train in Harlem, police said. He was released on each of the cases – which is nothing new for the serial offender, who earlier this year drew the ire of NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper. 'If there was a hall of fame for Subway offenders — this guy would be a first ballot inductee,' NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper wrote in a scathing X post. 4 Wilson was busted twice in May on crack-cocaine-related offenses, cops said. Stephen Yang 'And yet, certain parts of our criminal justice system seem to think otherwise.' Kemper's comments came after Wilson's Feb. 2 bust, when cops caught him swiping a rider through a turnstile with a MetroCard in exchange for cash, law enforcement sources said. He was ordered to leave the West 34th Street and Seventh Avenue subway station during the 10 a.m. ordeal, but he refused, and started to flail his arms and stiffen his body in an effort to avoid arrest. Eventually officers placed Wilson under arrest. They found six MetroCards in his possession, which they bent along their magnetic strips to render them unusable. He also had a student MetroCard. 4 Chief of Transit Michael Kemper previously called Wilson a candidate for the 'hall of fame for Subway offenders.' Stephen Yang Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office ultimately let him off without prosecution 'in the interest of justice,' according to sources. Kemper took exception to the DA's rationale, referencing it verbatim in his X post. 'Justice for whom? Recidivist criminals or law abiding NYers who simply want to travel on the subways free of harassment or open acts of lawlessness?' Kemper said. A spokesperson for Bragg said at the time that his office continues to 'hold accountable those who jeopardize the safety of other passengers and transit workers in our subways. 4 Wilson has four prior felony convictions — one for a violent offense, sources said. Stephen Yang 'Last year's decrease in transit crime throughout the borough was the result of close collaboration with our law enforcement partners, and we are continuing that work every day,' the spokesperson said. Before that bust, Wilson was arrested on two criminal tampering charges on Jan. 17, and seven others on Jan. 13, according to the sources. On Jan. 3, he was arrested and slapped with 11 charges – 10 for criminal tampering and one for theft of service, the sources said. The career criminal – whose first arrest was back in 2004 – was arrested 232 times over the years, but dozens of those cases have been sealed, bringing the unsealed total to 170, according to the sources. A whopping 135 of his arrests have been on felony charges, but he's only been convicted of felonies four times, with one of them a violent felony, according to the sources. His parole was also revoked several times, the sources said. He has also racked up 53 misdemeanor convictions, the sources said. Wilson had also been issued more than 30 bench warrants to failure to appear in court, according to the sources.
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Are there any bears here?' Hamilton kids, some as young as 10, are armed with bear spray. How are they getting it?
Kids are using bear spray in swarmings, robberies, assaults and large brawls. Hamilton police are seizing it from high school lockers and from teens and children — some as young as 10 years old — who have armed themselves for 'protection' or to hurt others. These concerning incidents, which police warn are on the rise, are behind a request for the City of Hamilton to consider a bylaw regulating the sale of the noxious substance. There is no reason anyone needs bear spray in the city, said Ward 7 Coun. Esther Pauls, who is putting forward a motion to the general issues committee June 11. Project Street Light is targeting youth crime on the Mountain, following swarmings, assaults and 'Are there any bears here?' she asked, incredulously. 'Have you seen any?' Crimes involving a 'burning liquid spray,' including bear spray and mace, have more than doubled in the last four years, according to an analysis by police. And assault with a weapon and weapon possession offences were one of only a handful of categories of youth crime that rose last year, while other types of crimes committed by young people fell. There were 138 crimes involving a burning liquid spray last year, compared to 68 in 2020. This year, there were 41 incidents as of April 24, and police know there have been more since, said Supt. Dave Hennick, whose duties include overseeing youth crime and some aspects of crime prevention. 'There has been a troubling increase in the amount of incidents involving bear spray in city,' he said, adding that is why police are pushing for a proactive approach to keep the city safer. Hennick requested the statistical analysis because of those concerns and then reached out to Pauls. The motion asks city staff to investigate the feasibility of a bylaw to regulate the sale of 'deterrent spray' in Hamilton. Both Hennick and Pauls noted with alarm that there have been incidents in Hamilton involving offenders as young as 10. Children younger than 12 cannot be charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. 'It's unbelievable,' said Pauls, who is also a member of the police board. More than half the incidents documented by police involve young offenders between the ages of 10 and 19, while nearly half the victims are also young. Bear spray — made with capsaicin, the compound that makes chili peppers spicy — causes burning eyes, throat and skin irritation and can temporarily cause difficulty seeing or breathing. It's only intended use is in the wilderness, to deter bear or wildlife attacks. Hamilton police are seizing bear spray from high school lockers and from teens and children — some as young as 10 years old — who have armed themselves for 'protection' or to hurt others. Hennick said this is important because not only are younger people more likely to arm themselves with bear spray, they are more likely to be victims as well. Other cities in Canada have reported similar increases in bear spray incidents, with some taking steps to explore or impose bylaws, including Vancouver, Burnaby, Edmonton and Winnipeg. In March, for instance, the City of Kelowna in B.C. approved a bylaw that limits the sale to adults, requires businesses to keep records of sales for three years and requires sprays be kept out of the reach of public. Hennick said the hope is a Hamilton bylaw would limit the sale to those 19 and older, set expectations to retailers, such as checking identification and keep records of sales, and keep bear spray and mace out of reach of youths. 'I feel like this is a responsible step for us,' he said. Beyond enacting laws in Hamilton, Hennick said the hope is the city will also appeal to the Attorney General and Solicitor General to push for provincial changes. While it's not clear exactly why there has been such an increase in bear spray incidents, police believe the fact that it is easily accessible is part of the reason it has become the weapon of choice for many youth. It's simply easier to get than other weapons. The incidents in Hamilton have included fights between high school students and robberies. Paid duty officers have been required for security at the McDonalds near Lime Ridge Mall because of bear spray and other violent incidents involving teens. Many of the incidents are happening in Division 3, which covers the Hamilton Mountain, along with Flamborough, Dundas, Ancaster and Binbrook/Glanbrook. This area is also the most populous of the three policing divisions. Spike comes amid warning that the substance has become 'accessible weapon of choice' for In October, 15-year-old Jayden Russell was killed in a crash on the Lincoln Alexander Parkway. He was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a street race that happened amid escalating conflict between students at his high school, St. Jean de Brébeuf, and another, Nora Frances Henderson, that involved a large brawl and bear spray incidents. Last month, a 15-year-old was charged after allegedly forcing his way into a home and assaulting a family with bear spray and a knife. A nine-month-old baby was among those affected by the bear spray. According to the 2024 youth crime report, there were 959 young people between 12 and 17 involved in crime in Hamilton last year. This was a 1.5 per cent decrease from 2023, but 2.9 per cent higher than the five-year average. Bear spray use among kids is on the rise. Despite the overall decrease, several key areas of youth crime increased year-over-year in 2024. Assault with a weapon increased by 29 per cent to 84 incidents, possession of weapons increased by 53 per cent to 23 incidents, disturbances increased by 75 per cent to 21 incidents and vehicle thefts increased by 32 per cent to 29 incidents. Vehicle thefts have been a problem across the province, with 1,625 vehicles reported stolen in Hamilton alone last year. The issue is not just related to young offenders, but youths are among those charged. In some Hamilton cases, the thefts appear to be crimes of opportunity, including 'warm up thefts' where vehicles left running are stolen. For instance, a man missed the birth of his second child in Hamilton because teens allegedly stole his car while he was picking his daughter up from daycare. However, other incidents appear more organized, with people using trackers and cloned key fobs to steal vehicles from driveways. On May 29, three Hamilton teens were arrested and charged after an investigation by Niagara police into an alleged organized auto theft ring tied to 40 stolen vehicles. Police alleged electronic trackers were used to follow and steal primarily Lexus and Toyota vehicles from residential neighbourhoods. The stolen vehicles were brought to Hamilton, where their factory-installed trackers were disabled before being transported to Montreal and placed in shipping containers bound for Iraq. In the middle of the night on May 27, police were called to Rymal and Fletcher roads for people trying to steal vehicles from driveways. When officers arrived, they saw a group of teens flee in a white van. The van was abandoned on the side of Fletcher Road and police arrested an 11-year-old and a 14-year old nearby. The older child was charged. Nicole O'Reilly is a reporter at The Hamilton Spectator. noreilly@ Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
