Attacker allegedly stabbed a dog in the hip after pointing him out to a group of men while at a festival in Toronto.
A man has been acquitted of attempted murder after he allegedly stabbed a dog in the hip after pointing him out to a group of men while at a Toronto jazz festival.
After the incident, which happened in 2016, a witness recorded footage on her phone which police used to arrest Tamber Williams, a Toronto man, earlier this year.
Q&A Does racism affect how we think about dogs? Show Hide In articles about this type of crime, it’s typically presented as a racist incident, with some people explaining their frustration at a dog “walking” in the road. But it’s not clear if that’s entirely true. While greyhounds may be technically dogs, they are not classified as animals because of their presence. Their classification as a race would mean they would receive protection under the animal welfare act, which governs other domesticated animals. As greyhounds are allowed to run at a natural pace, many people accept that at the Beaches Jazz Festival in Toronto in 2016, a dog could be running in a drive-thru drive-thru lane alongside them.
He is accused of stabbing the dog, a German shepherd who belonged to a Vancouver man, whose name is withheld for legal reasons. The dog died as a result of the injury.
His lawyer, Ryan Petit, said that he felt vindicated by the decision, which found that police acted “vexatiously and unreasonably” in using force on Williams, who was on a night out in the arts festival at the time of the incident.
During the trial, defence witnesses said Williams, whose live-in girlfriend told police he had “issues with dogs”, was the last person to attack the dog, before it ran away.
The friend, who watched as Williams stabbed the dog, said the attack appeared to be random.
One defence witness, who witnessed the incident, said Williams appeared to have been involved in a dispute when he pointed the dog out to the group and “dropped his gun, reached into his bag and got the fucking knife out”.
During the trial, prosecutors told the court that Williams admitted to acting aggressively towards the dog.
“The evidence was pretty clear the dog was there to represent the person who did this to him,” the assistant Crown attorney, William Manson, told the court, adding: “He knew the whole world. He knew that the person he attacked would be suing him and would be bringing this case here.”
Petit said he was extremely disappointed by the judge’s decision, but said that Williams is eager to carry on his career.
“While the gentleman has certainly had his share of challenges, there’s a lifetime ahead for him to engage in the arts and develop his talents in that field,” he said.
As he awaited his return flight home, Williams offered his condolences to the young woman who was allegedly the intended target of the attack, telling the Guardian: “That’s my best friend, and I wouldn’t wish this for anybody.”