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Hamilton police outline confrontation before cadet supervisor's assault

Supt. Michael Spencer says an air-horn incident outside a restaurant preceded the attack that left the supervisor with life-altering injuries.

Channel: CBC News ·

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Hamilton cadet leader assaulted while distributing poppies

Two youths blew an air horn into the ears of cadets collecting poppy donations, and their adult supervisor followed them into a restaurant to confront them, Hamilton police say.

In a short report from Canada's CBC News, the news service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Supt. Michael Spencer describes how that confrontation escalated. The incident happened on November 1 on Barton Street East in Hamilton, Ontario, southwest of Toronto.

According to Spencer, a struggle broke out inside the restaurant between the supervisor and the youths. An adult woman joined the confrontation and assaulted the supervisor, causing him to fall. One youth then struck him repeatedly while he was on the ground, Spencer says, before both youths and the woman fled.

Police describe the Royal Canadian Air Cadets commanding officer's injuries as life-altering. He had been supervising young cadets collecting donations for Remembrance Day poppies.

The poppy campaign accompanies Canada's November 11 commemoration of military personnel who died in service. Spencer points to the significance of that activity in condemning the attack: "It's incredibly tragic that this has happened."

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