An incident caught on video that led to a review by the London police hate crime unit has resulted in charges.
But not hate crime charges.
London police announced Tuesday morning that a 39-year-old man is now charged with assault, forcible confinement, and causing a disturbance in connection with the incident at a Sobey's grocery store on Adelaide St. N on July 17.
In a video that was posted to social media (which can be seen by clicking here), a man in a red t-shirt refers to another man wearing a black hoodie as an “illegal alien” as he tries to stop him from leaving the store.
“I want to leave. Stop assaulting me,” the victim says in the 30-second video, which was shot before police arrived. “I want to leave.”
During the video, a woman behind the camera could be heard urging the man in red to stop what he was doing. After the incident, a police spokesman said officers learned that had been an argument involving the two men prior to the start of the recording. The spokesman said while "race played a role" in the incident, he could not confirm that a hate crime had occurred.
In a statement issued Tuesday, police said the ongoing investigation and consultation with the Crown Attorney's office determined there was evidence to support proceeding with the charges of assault, forcible confinement, and causing a disturbance. According to police, 39-year-old Phillip McLaughlin surrendered on Monday and was released with a court date of September 12.