Assault
Sat, 2006-03-25
At 4:55pm on Saturday, Police attended a reported assault at the Hamilton Marketplace on Church Street in the City of Hamilton. It appears that a man parked his car in the underground parking lot at the Marketplace, leaving a young boy in the vehicle while he went shopping. After approximately 25 minutes, the parking lot security officer heard screaming coming from the car and went to check on the boy. The security officer looked into the car and saw that the child, who appeared to be 5 or 6 years old, was crying. He opened the driver's door and asked the boy about his parents, then took him out of the vehicle and upstairs to the store to find them. When employees of the store found the driver of the car and reunited him with his son, the man became upset and a verbal confrontation took place with the staff. The man then took the boy back to the parking lot, where he assaulted the security guard by pushing him up against a concrete pillar and punching him in the head, in front of the child. The suspect and the boy then got into the suspect's white Suzuki jeep and left the parking area; however, before making good his escape the suspect stopped the car outside the Marketplace, got out and walked into the store brandishing a hatchet. He then threatened the store's staff in front of customers before driving off. The suspect is described as a light brown skinned male of stocky build, with a beard. The security officer, a 51 year old Sandy's parish man, sustained a laceration above his right eye. He was treated at KEMH and released. Inquiries into this incident are underway. Police are appealing for any witnesses to this incident to contact the Hamilton Criminal Investigation Unit on 295-0011.
