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
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.