Man charged in two hate-motivated attacks targeting Toronto's Jewish community wanted on surety warrant
Toronto police have issued a surety warrant for a man charged in two separate attacks targeting the city’s Jewish community earlier this month.
In a news release issued Friday, police said that Michael Park, 32, was “originally” released on bail with a surety, but added that this is “no longer the case.”
The first incident occurred on July 6 at 8 a.m. at Stanley Park, in the area of King Street West and Walnut Avenue.
At that time, police said that a man with a non-permanent drawing of a swastika on his chest was yelling anti-Semitic slurs towards an individual.
The man then allegedly assaulted a person by throwing an unidentified object at them. The suspect was located by police in a nearby area and arrested. He was charged with interfere with use and enjoyment of park by others, use profane/abusive language in park, and assault with a weapon.
Four days later, police said officers responded to a call for an assault near Yonge Street and Glen Elm Street at 10:30 a.m.
In that incident, police said the suspect was walking northbound on Yonge Street when he showed a victim walking in the opposite direction a non-permanent drawing of a swastika on his chest.
The suspect then began hurling anti-Semitic slurs at a group of people, according to police, before being confronted by the victim about his language.
Police said the victim was punched “multiple times” by the man.
He was located by police a short distance away and was arrested. He was charged with assault.
An assault in the area of Yonge Street and Glen Elm Avenue from July 10, 2021 is pictured in this still image from a video released by UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. (Handout)
Last week, the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto released videos of both incidents, which they said pointed to an “alarming rise” in hate-motivated harassment.
"Like all members of society, Jews should be able to walk down the street with confidence in our safety and security,” the group said in a statement.
“Antisemitism is a scourge that is quickly spreading throughout Canada and around the world. Over the past few months, Jewish Canadians - already the most targeted religious minority in this country according to Statistics Canada - have witnessed an alarming rise in hate-motivated harassment, vandalism, and assault.”
According to Toronto police, Jews were targeted in approximately 30 per cent of all hate crimes in the city in 2020, the highest proportion of any one group.
Both incidents are being treated as hate motivated following consultation with the Toronto Police Service’s specialized Hate Crime Unit.
Police could not provide CTV News Toronto with any specifics regarding Park's original bail only saying that "the surety is no longer in place.”
Park should be considered dangerous, police said. If seen, members of the public are asked not to approach him but instead call 911.
Anyone with information related to the investigations is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
With files from CP24’s Joshua Freeman
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
It could take years to catch up on child vaccinations in Ontario post-pandemic
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.