Store video shows man licking hands, touching merchandise in Hamilton computer store

It's not your conventional police alert but these aren't conventional times, and so the public is being asked to help identify a man who walked into a computer store in Hamilton on Tuesday afternoon and, as he engaged with staff, started licking his hands and then touched the merchandise.

The man is seen in video and photo capture from the store surveillance. At the time of the incident, roughly 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, he was dressed in casual summer clothes, wearing a cap with visor, striped T-shirt, shorts, sandals, glasses, a knee brace and a bag slung over his shoulder.

In the surveillance video the man, on his own, is seen exchanging a word or two with a store staff person, stroking his chin for a moment, then quite conspicuously sticking one hand in his mouth in a licking motion and then the other and then handling products on a rack.

The business owner at the store in question reported the behaviour to the police.

We had some discussions about it," said Const. Jerome Stewart of the Hamilton Police Service.

But in this particular time, this climate, we thought it best first to at least identify and then continue with an investigation from there," said Stewart.

The normal procedure would be to look at the case longer internally (before issuing a call for public assistance in looking for the individual), but in these circumstances (with COVID-19 concerns), we determined that acting expeditiously was best."

If the man is identified, depending on what the investigation yields, there could be a charge of mischief.

Stewart said that the business owner told police that, other than licking his hands and touching the merchandise, the man communicated normally with store staff. He was not acting or speaking confrontationally or strangely, he said.

The police description notes that he is white male in his 50s, five-foot-nine with average build and short grey hair. If you have information that may help with identifying the male, call Det. Const. Rebecca Moran at 905-546-3817 or Sgt. Amanda Gill at 905-546-3833.

To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit your anonymous tips online at http://www.crimestoppershamilton.com.

Jeff Mahoney is a Hamilton-based reporter and columnist covering culture and lifestyle stories, commentary and humour for The Spectator. Reach him via email: jmahoney@thespec.com