Two St. Catharines residents have been charged following an assault in downtown St. Catharines that left a 25-year-old Welland man with serious injuries.
St. Paul Street saw an alleged hate-motivated assault on Sept. 26 following the Grape and Wine Festival.
Bar hopping with friends on one of downtown St. Catharines’ busiest nights of the year was how the victim, Carson MacDonald, planned to spend his night. However, when stepping onto the street for a smoke, MacDonald was assaulted by two suspects, leaving him unconscious. planned to spend his night. However, when stepping onto the street for a smoke, MacDonald was assaulted by two suspects, leaving him unconscious.
Niagara Regional Police were called to the scene at approximately 8:50 p.m. after receiving reports of an assault. The victim was then transported to a local hospital, where he underwent treatment for serious injuries related to the incident.
Police reported that an initial verbal interaction between the victim and the accused escalated into a physical altercation.
The investigation led to the immediate on-scene arrest of 41-year-old Samantha Jacobs, who was charged with assault causing bodily harm. On Sept. 30, police announced that 36-year-old William Rider had also been charged with aggravated assault.
The victim was identified by his mother as Carson MacDonald, a current Niagara College student who is part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. His mother, Lisa McCoy, told CBC Niagara that her son suffered a concussion, damage to his cornea and fractures around his eye. The recovery process will be daunting for the 25-year-old as he awaits surgery. He has also experienced neck pain, jaw numbness and psychological distress following the assault.
After arriving at the hospital where her son was taken, McCoy was stopped by a paramedic who warned her that even though she was a nurse, she would not be ready for what she saw.
“His face was just ballooned,” she said. “And it was black. I cried, I tried not to, but I cried and he cried.”
The incident prompted concerns from members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community that the assault may have been hate-motivated. Pride Niagara Chair holder, Enzo De Divitiis, expressed concerns over the safety of community members following the attack.
However, Niagara police later said their investigation found no indication that hate was the motivating factor. Police confirmed that a homophobic slur could be heard at the conclusion of video footage of the incident but said the use of a slur alone does not establish that an offence was motivated by hate or bias. Investigators said any further evidence about the incident’s motivation could be considered during court proceedings.
De Divitiis spoke to CHCH, saying, “From the community, it’s just outrage and shock.” “You can have a disagreement with someone, but when you take it to the next step to actually physically assault someone to the point where you’re leaving them unconscious on the street, that’s hate.”
Pride Niagara took to social media, revealing that they reached out to police after hearing concerns about how the determination of hate-motivated actions is being determined.
On Oct. 5, they made an additional social media post announcing that Niagara Regional Police responded to these concerns:
“NRP clarified that determining whether an offence is hate-motivated requires investigators to assess the available evidence and determine whether bias, prejudice, or hate towards an identifiable group was a motivating factor in the offence. They explained that this assessment is evidence-based and may evolve if credible new information or evidence becomes available.”
The organization wrote most recently in an Instagram post that they will continue to support members and advocate for safety, while “respecting the investigative process.”
Police have asked for anyone with information about the incident to contact the NRPS 1 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1024233.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Niagara at 1-800-222-8477.