Police investigating attack on Brampton, Ont. media personality as attempted murder
Graphic content warning: This story contains details readers may find disturbing.
A Brampton, Ont. media personality who was attacked with a machete and axe in his driveway will need months of physical rehabilitation to recover, a close friend says.
On the morning of Aug. 4, Joti Singh Mann was getting into his parked Jeep when he was approached by a man wielding an axe.
Video obtained from the scene shows a suspect swinging the blade into the vehicle after Mann shut the car door.
Two other men then appear in the frame, one armed with a machete, and attack Mann.
The three supsects pull Mann from his vehicle, bringing him to the end of the driveway, and continue to assault him. The violence only ends when a woman, identified as Mann’s mother, exits the home to render aid.
“She ran out – it was a pure reaction on her part and it certainly contributed to him still being here today,” Peel Regional Police Supt. Sean Gormley told reporters on Thursday.
Gormley said they have reason to believe Mann was targeted, but did not share what information police received to make that conclusion.
Mann's mother told CP24 he received a threat while recording a recent episode of his podcast.
Gormley said police were made aware of that threat and were actively investigating it.
“A safety plan was put in place with victim at the time the threat was reported,” he said.
Brampton councillor Gurpreet Singh Dhillon said Mann suffered the loss of a big toe and use of one hand in the attack, and also received 150 stitches.
“Doctors say he will make a recovery but it will take a few months of rehabilitation to regain the use (of his hand), Dhillon said.
Dhillon also said Mann’s assault is the third violent incident involving a Punjabi language media personality in Brampton in the past 12 months.
In one instance, a media host’s home was the target of gunfire. In another, suspects confronted a media host with a gun as he was leaving his studio.
“Whether you agree or disagree with them, there shouldn’t be any violence against them, so we’re hopeful there are more leads in those investigations as well,” Dhillon said.
Gormley said there are active investigations underway for all three incidents, and he did not have information to suggest Mann’s assault was tied to the earlier incidents targeting other media personalities.
He said the three suspects in Mann’s assault, which he characterized as an attempted murder, wore mostly black clothing, black gloves and surgical masks covering their faces
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Getting the lowest mortgage rates in a high interest rate world
The challenges facing home buyers mean it's all the more important to do research and negotiate on rates, mortgage experts say, though they also caution that there's more to focus on than just what looks like the cheapest upfront option.