Two days after a Toronto-based lawyer was attacked in the city’s downtown core, leaving him critically injured, police have released images of two suspects wanted in the assault.
The 36-year-old man was on Queen Street West near Bathurst Street on New Year’s Eve shortly after midnight when, for unknown reasons, he got into a fight with two men.
Toronto police say the victim was knocked unconscious by one suspect before being punched again by the second suspect.
Security camera video obtained exclusively by CTV News Toronto shows the violent incident unfold on the busy downtown street. However, it does not show the circumstances that led up to the fight, nor have police said what sparked it.
In the video, a man in a grey coat walks along the sidewalk, bends down and picks up a bag of garbage. As he continues walking, he can be seen swinging the bag over his shoulder and hurling it out of camera view.
Seconds later, the same man reenters the video frame as two people follow close behind him.
A fight breaks out between the three men and the commotion quickly spills onto the street.
At one point, the man in the grey coat appears pushed up against a vehicle on the roadway.
When the men return to the sidewalk, the victim falls backward, slamming his head on the concrete.
One of the suspects then punches him in the head.
The victim was identified by his employer yesterday as David Shellnutt, a lawyer with Sher Law Professional Corporation.
Shellnutt was reportedly bleeding heavily on the sidewalk when officers arrived that night.
His condition, first listed as a “serious head injury,” has worsened over the last two days, police say. He is now in life-threatening condition.
A friend and colleague of Shellnutt described him as someone who “genuinely cared about others around him.”
“Dave, despite being surrounded at times by people who were very heated and potentially maybe even getting violent, was quite adept at keeping his cool and maintaining his head and not getting involved in any of that type of activity,” Omar Ha-redeye said.
“All of his friends are rooting for him and we do hope for a positive outcome in this.”
Investigators say the two suspects fled the area in a blue, newer model Dodge Charger. They were last seen heading south on Bathurst Street.
The first suspect is described as being between 25 and 35 years old, six-feet tall with a slim build, corn rowed hair and a beard. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants and black running shoes.
The second suspect is also believed to be between 25 and 35 years old. He is described as being five-foot-nine with short black hair. Police say he was wearing glasses, a black hooded jacket, ripped faded blue jeans and blue and white running shoes when he was last seen.
Police are asking anyone who recognizes the suspects or anyone who has information about the incident to contact them or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
