Police upgrade charges against man accused of random, fatal assault in downtown Toronto in February
Police have upgraded charges against a man accused of randomly striking and killing a 50-year-old man in downtown Toronto in February.
The incident happened on Feb. 27, at approximately 1:30 a.m., in the area of Elizabeth Street and Dundas Street West, near city hall.
According to police, a man approached a group of people who were outside on a sidewalk and engaged in an altercation. The man, unprovoked, struck the victim in the head, police said.
The victim was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was identified as Gregory Lawrie, 50, of Toronto.
Responding officers searched the area at the time of the incident and located a suspect.
At the time, Taylor Harker, 25, was charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of assault with a weapon, two counts of obstruction of a peace officer, one count of failture to comply, one count of possession of a prohibited device and one count of breach of probation.
In Saturday's release, police said the charges had been upgraded to manslaughter. The accused is next scheduled to appear in court on June 6 at 10 a.m.
Anyone with information, or who was in the area at the time, and witnessed this event, is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Biden and Harris call the Israeli strike killing Hezbollah’s Nasrallah a 'measure of justice'
The Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah was a 'measure of justice' for victims of a four-decade 'reign of terror,' U.S. President Joe Biden said Saturday.
At least 52 dead and millions without power after Helene's deadly march across southeastern U.S.
Hurricane Helene caused at least 52 deaths and billions of dollars of destruction across a wide swath of the southeastern U.S. as it raced through, and more than three million customers went into the weekend without any power and for some a continued threat of floods.
LGBTQ2S+ minister Pascale St-Onge to make history with parental leave
Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge is set to make history by becoming the first openly lesbian cabinet minister to take parental leave when her wife gives birth in the coming weeks.
SpaceX launches rescue mission for 2 NASA astronauts who are stuck in space until next year
SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year.
What is open and closed this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
This Monday, Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), a federal statutory holiday and day of remembrance for the Indigenous children who never came home from Canadian residential schools, as well as those who survived them.
They hit it off on vacation but then he went silent. So she decided to pick up the phone
When a few weeks passed and Nana Prempeh still hadn’t heard from the guy she met on vacation, she turned to her friends for advice.
Sima Sistani, who embraced Ozempic, is out as CEO of WeightWatchers
WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani, who pushed the company into embracing weight-loss drugs, is leaving the position after a two-and-a-half year stint.
Scientists discover hidden ancient forest on treeless island
Trees haven't grown on the Falkland Islands for thousands of years. But tree trunks and branches preserved in peat suggest the islands were once home to a forest.
Russia invokes its nuclear capacity in a UN speech that's full of bile toward the West
Russia's top diplomat warned Saturday against 'trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power,' delivering a UN General Assembly speech packed with condemnations of what Russia sees as Western machinations in Ukraine and elsewhere — including inside the United Nations itself.