Toronto man allegedly wielding knife made it to Premier Doug Ford's front door, source says
A man allegedly wielding a large knife and yelling threats made it to the front door of Premier Doug Ford's Toronto home on Monday night, a source says.
According to a spokesperson for the Ford’s office, a man arrived at the suburban home just before 6 p.m. and started yelling threats.
Police say before approaching Ford’s house, the suspect slashed the tires of multiple vehicles.
A source close to the investigation told CP24 that once on the Ford property, the suspect, who made it to the front door of the private home, was told to drop the knife several times before he eventually did.
Ford was not home at the time, but his wife arrived just minutes after the incident occurred, the source says.
A photo of the knife involved in the incident has been obtained by CP24.
"The premier thanks the officer for his quick action and bravery, which resulted in no harm to anyone involved in the incident," the premier’s office said in a statement Tuesday.
According to police, 44-year-old George Niras of Toronto, was arrested at in connection with the incident.
He is charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and 11 counts of mischief to property under $5,000.
Toronto Police Chief James Ramer said Tuesday he is "very concerned" by the incident.
"I've been in discussions with the OPP commissioner and in terms of the security out there," Ramer said. "It's an unfortunate incident."
Ford's home has been the site of numerous protests over the last year. In a November 2020 news conference, the premier lashed out at individuals for protesting the province's lockdown measures and disrupting his neighbours, calling them "buffoons."
"I have the best neighbours anyone could ever ask for. They didn't sign up for this, they aren't making decisions for the government, it is totally unfair. It's unacceptable that they have to put up with this because they're living beside the premier," Ford said at the time.
A month earlier, the premier said that a group of protesters were showing up at his home every Saturday morning. Ford said that he had to call the fire department after one particular incident in which a protester "threw blood on the street."
"You want to protest, God bless you, freedom of speech, come down [to Queen’s Park], protest, do whatever you want," Ford said. "Don't scare the kids in the neighbourhood. You are scaring them. You are intimidating them."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army ordered some 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza.