Canada - Numerous pedestrians struck by van near Yonge and Finch, Toronto, Apr 2018 *guilty*

[MrsThreadgoode]

My deepest condolences to the victims and their families and friends - surely it will be difficult, if not impossible, to come to terms with this senseless act.

As I'm one to unabashedly call out the poor behavior of a cop, I want to express my utmost respect to the officer that made this arrest, now identified as Ken Lam - TPS designation unclear to me at the moment.

Mr Lam did the one thing I wish many officers in the past had done with an unarmed suspect - he took a step back more than once. This was very heroic imo = de-escalation. Mr Lam gained control within 30 seconds or so of this smart move.

This is how it's done and I'm very proud that this Canadian officer showed his city, his province, his country and now beyond that an unarmed suspect need not be shot - what is there to learn if the suspect is dead?

I'm very proud of his actions - leadership under the most stressful and fluid moments one can imagine, and a moment most will never find themselves in.

Hoping Mr Lam will be put in charge of all officer training in Canada. This would be the thing to do, eh?

An excellent post, Woodland. I share your thoughts completely.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ldlager]

I think that there is a difference between someone who methodically and deliberately inflicts their evil on society, and someone who genuinely has a mental breakdown.

Which do you think is the case here? Both were one time events, with no record of previous violence.

 

[Hazel]

In a 2009 interview with the Richmond Hill Liberal, a Sona Minassian said her son lives with a condition called Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, and relied on Helpmate, a social service community program whose lack of funding threatened to shutter it.

“My son would spend afternoons working with Helpmate. They were sensitive to his needs,” she said, not naming her son.

“He was able to take the experience provided by Helpmate and apply it. This kind of service for my son wasn’t available elsewhere. I am convinced that if we didn’t have Helpmate, my son would not have had such an opportunity,” Sona Minassian said of the job her son was able to land at a local IT company.

Minassian was part of a special needs program at Thornlea Secondary School, said former classmate Will Cornish, 25. Minassian didn’t behave violently, he said, but could be seen in the hallways twisting his hands together.

Dominic Reynolds was in Grade 11 when Minassian began high school, but would often share the special needs program classroom with him. Though Reynolds, 28, wasn’t in the special needs program, he said to accommodate his learning disability he was sometimes required to study in the same room.

“He (had) notable special needs,” Reynolds said of Minassian, citing his behaviour of making meowing noises and hugging his arms around himself in the hallways at school.

He said he was surprised to hear Minassian was the suspected driver as he didn’t believe Minassian would be able to drive given his special needs condition. Reynolds said special needs students were well supported at Thornlea, and doesn’t believe Minassian was a bullying victim.

Shannon Goel, 25, said Minassian was in her Grade 5 class at Sixteenth Avenue Public School in Richmond Hill. When she heard his name reported on the news she got out her old yearbook.

“I just remember him acting out,” she said. “He would throw fits, he would always act out, and it was hard for people to control him.”

A yearbook photo of Alek Minassian from his time at Thornlea Secondary School.

Full article: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...ssian-the-man-accused-in-the-van-rampage.html

 

[Woodland]

With respect, I am not playing any card. I am simply speculating on a possible defence pleading. I made no connection between mental illness and violence in my post. And I have no idea what or who he follows on social media. In fact I hope he is not found to be mentally ill, and they give him “life” if found guilty (at least life in Canadian judicial terms).

UBM - Canada now has the option to sentence killers of multiple people to consecutive life terms, as we just witnessed with DM and MS for their killing of Laura Babcock and Tim Bosma. They are both serving 50 years before parole eligibility.

10 victims (of murder, so far) with a sentence of 25 years minimum each = will never see the outside world as this guy once knew it.

 

[Miranda]

Link to TPS update in 5 minutes https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.3899140

 

[ldlager]

UBM - Canada now has the option to sentence killers of multiple people to consecutive life terms, as we just witnessed with DM and MS for their killing of Laura Babcock and Tim Bosma. They are both serving 50 years before parole eligibility.

10 victims (of murder, so far) with a sentence of 25 years minimum each = will never see the outside world as this guy once knew it.

Agreed- Unless the defence is as I have described and is successful.

 

[bluesneakers]

Not to take anything away from the police officer who showed great composure and courage during this arrest. But I can’t help wondering if he was also worried about the repercussions to him if he discharged his weapon. Likely suspension with pay, full SIU and psb review, condemnation by all the civil libertarians especially if the accused was unarmed, , potentially negative press and impact on his family, potential civil actions, etc. Police have to know that they can and should react with force when reasonably required or justified without having their lives potentially ruined.

He did not appear worried IMO.

 

[Wondergirl]

The video of his father walking into court on cbc twitter feed is heart breaking. He can't even speak through his tears.

There are so many victims in these senseless crimes.

 

[x_files]

"Alleged van attacker Alek Minassian cited a misogynistic online community on Facebook just moments before he allegedly mowed down more than a dozen people Monday on a busy Toronto street leaving 10 people dead."
https://news.vice.com/en_us/article...nce-to-involuntary-celibacy-group-on-facebook

 

[kimlynn]

Link to TPS update in 5 minutes https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.3899140

In case anyone missed it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5rpdnOjfIo

A bit of audio missing at the start of the introduction.

 

[Gardenista]

So many with autism/Asperger's commit these crimes.

 

[drama_farmer]

I'm impressed with the "other" person holding a cellphone this day. . . another person who must have been terrified in such a situation: the guy/gal who recorded what actually happened.

Now, with that said, here's a tip for all of us who might be in a situation to capture a confusing event: Try holding your phone the "long way" instead of the usual "tall way." Most times (and there can be exceptions, like filming a skydiver, etc.) action occurs to the left or right of the frame, not above or below!

 

[ldlager]

I'm impressed with the "other" person holding a cellphone this day. . . another person who must have been terrified in such a situation: the guy/gal who recorded what actually happened.

Now, with that said, here's a tip for all of us who might be in a situation to capture a confusing event: Try holding your phone the "long way" instead of the usual "tall way." Most times (and there can be exceptions, like filming a skydiver, etc.) action occurs to the left or right of the frame, not above or below!

I don’t understand how the 3 pedestrians stroll from left to right in the video behind the accused and don’t appear concerned at all by a policeman pointing a gun at the suspect and the back and forth yelling. I sure wouldnt be so nonchalant about the situation if it was me

 

[CoolJ]

He did not appear worried IMO.

No he wasn’t worried. He was laser focused. True professional. He let his training take over...... is my life or anyone else’s life in immediate danger? ..No...Ok no need to shoot.
The suspect was disarmed when he left the van. By that I mean his weapon, was the van. No longer a threat.
Again, true professional. Very well trained.

 

[dotr]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/24/us/toronto-suspect-what-we-know/index.html

Toronto authorities said they had no previous interactions with him, but a US law enforcement official said Minassian had been known to authorities.- A former classmate said Minassian often succumbed to peer pressure -- such as running down a hallway shirtless when dared by other students. The classmate, who didn't want to be identified, said they bonded during special-needs classes at Wyndham Ridge Public School and Thornlea Secondary School.

- The classmate said Minassian was very self-deprecating. "If you put him down or disrespected him or insulted him, he would agree with you," the classmate said.
Minassian also had severe anxiety when interacting with females and would freeze, unable to respond, the classmate said. "He was genuinely terrified with interacting verbally or physically at all, except for his mother," the classmate said. - Another former classmate said Minassian was odd and kept to himself, but "he was always smiling."

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/04/24/these-are-the-victims-of-the-toronto-van-attack_a_23418938/

Victims were mostly female



Victims were predominately female and ranged in age from mid-20s to 80s, Det. Sgt. Graham Gibson told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.

He said that some of the injured had scrapes and bruises, while others suffered "terrible" injuries.

rbbm.

 

[bluesneakers]

Jordanian man confirmed dead in Toronto van rampage

On Tuesday, Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs statement was quoted by Roya News, which said Munir Najjar had gone to Canada to visit one of his sons and was killed in the accident.

A spokesperson for the Jordanian embassy in Ottawa told the Star that “one Jordanian citizen, he was deceased in the van attack.” She would not confirm any other details.

 

[CoolJ]

So many with autism/Asperger's commit these crimes.

And so many more with autism/Aspergers don’t ... not sure if that tells us much of anything.

 

[Woodland]

I'm impressed with the "other" person holding a cellphone this day. . . another person who must have been terrified in such a situation: the guy/gal who recorded what actually happened.

Now, with that said, here's a tip for all of us who might be in a situation to capture a confusing event: Try holding your phone the "long way" instead of the usual "tall way." Most times (and there can be exceptions, like filming a skydiver, etc.) action occurs to the left or right of the frame, not above or below!

This is good - can it be made a 'rule'?

 

[Crosby87]

Does Alex have a driver's license? Someone who knows him said they weren't sure.
Was any information about the van released yet? Did Alex rent it from Ryder Truck Rental or did he steal it?
You can't rent a vehicle without a valid driver's license. .

 

[enelram]

And so many more with autism/Aspergers don’t ... not sure if that tells us much of anything.

I've read that some young men with autism also have ADHD and/or Conduct Disorder which tends to lead them toward

criminal behavior. I just wonder if the autistic boys who often have impulse control problems contributes to these crimes. ?? I realize it's not politically correct to assume there's a connection but I still believe there is.