Brantford man charged with assaulting employees when asked to wear a mask

Brantford police say a man is facing a number of charges after he allegedly assaulted two employees after he was asked to wear a face covering inside multiple stores.

In a release, police say officers were called to a store in the area of Henry Street and Wayne Gretzky Parkway around 9:50 a.m. on Dec. 23 for reports of an assault on an employee by a male customer who had been asked to wear a mask.

When a staff member reminded the man that wearing a face covering in a store was required under the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA), the customer assaulted the worker and then fled the store, police say.

Police say later that day, at around 1:30 p.m., they received a second report of a similar nature at a store on Lynden Road.

Again, a customer had allegedly assaulted a staff member after being asked to wear a face covering.

Police say the accused became confrontational and belligerent" toward the worker after being asked to wear a mask. When he was asked to leave the store, he allegedly threw merchandise at the employee.

Through their investigation, police confirmed the same suspect - a 25-year-old man from Brantford - was involved in both incidents.

He has been charged with two counts of assault, mischief under $5,000 and failing to comply with the ROA. The man's name was not released by police.

Police are reminding residents that under the ROA, businesses and organizations must ensure that face coverings and masks are worn by staff and members of the public in all indoor establishments with limited exceptions."

On Tuesday, the Brant County Health Unit reported 29 new cases of COVID-19, marking a total of 855 since the pandemic began last March. There are currently 158 actives cases and five people are in hospital.

Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com