Man accused of pelting Justin Trudeau with stones on OPP radar
A St. Thomas man accused of throwing stones at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in London was one of dozens of people profiled in a police intelligence report prepared as the "freedom convoy" protests swept across Canada earlier this year.
Author of the article
ale Carruthers
Publishing date:Oct 31, 2022 • 17 hours ago • 3 minute read • 12 Comments
A St. Thomas man accused of throwing stones at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in London was one of dozens of people profiled in a police intelligence report prepared as the “freedom convoy” protests swept across Canada earlier this year.
The Ontario Provincial Police intelligence bureau created dozens of persons-of-interest profiles that catalogued the individuals’ connections to past protests and groups, social media activity, gun ownership details, personal information such as home addresses, and contact with police.
Redacted copies of the profiles have been released by the Public Order Emergency Commission, the inquiry into the federal government’s justification for invoking the Emergencies Act in response to the convoy protests.
A profile was created on Shane Marshall, 26, of St. Thomas, who is charged with assault with a weapon after gravel was thrown at Trudeau during a campaign stop in London on Sept. 6, 2021.
Although Marshall’s name has been redacted from the 13-page report, the charges against him and a social media post showing him at the Ottawa protest confirm he is the subject of the profile.
The report flags Marshall as “violent” and known for carrying weapons and drugs. He’s associated with the Church of God in Aylmer, the site of frequent protests against COVID-19 restrictions, and Diagolon, a far-right group whose founder remains in jail after his arrest on firearms-related offences, the report says.
Marshall, a registered gun owner, has a 22-calibre rifle that he has turned over to London police, the report says.
Marshall was given a five-year weapons ban on July 19 as part of a deal that saw the Crown withdraw a charge of storing a firearm in an unsafe manner laid in October 2020, according to court records.
The report listed nine interactions with the OPP for occurrences that included threatening phone calls made to then-MPP Jeff Yurek and an apprehension under the Mental Health Act. There were also 13 interactions with St. Thomas police for occurrences that included refusing to wear a mask, traffic infractions and possession of marijuana.
In an interaction with Hamilton police, the report says, Marshal “removed the cloth covering of (the) Sir John A. Macdonald statue in Gore Park in Hamilton and replaced it with a Canadian flag in the name of nationalism.”
The report included content from Marshall’s Instagram and Facebook accounts, where one post said, “I’m ready to die here Fedboi are you?” and another post showed a photo that appeared to show Marshall carrying jerry cans in Ottawa.
The OPP’s report on Marshall is dated Feb. 7. He was arrested in Ottawa on Feb. 17 — a video of the arrest was posted on social media — when police also arrested protest organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber.
Marshall was later released without charges, his lawyer, Phillip Millar, previously said.
Marshall was the People’s Party of Canada riding association president for Elgin-Middlesex-London when he was charged with the alleged stone-throwing attack on Trudeau, who wasn’t injured.
Video of the incident shows the prime minister turn around as he appears to be struck with small rocks before boarding a campaign bus while protesters — many of them holding People’s Party of Canada signs — shout obscenities at him. The PPC turfed Marshall after he was linked online to the attack on Trudeau.
Millar, who wasn’t available for comment Monday, previously said he planned to subpoena the prime minister to testify at Marshall’s trial. His trial is scheduled to begin March 7.
The OPP also created profiles for several other Southwestern Ontario residents, the bulk of them in Sarnia and Windsor, as well as for high-profile supporters of the protest movement, including former MPP Randy Hillier and former RCMP officer James Bulford.
An OPP spokesperson declined to comment on the intelligence report, citing the ongoing commission.
The commission, headed by Justice Paul Rouleau, began on Oct. 13 and is expected to continue until Nov. 25.
dcarruthers@postmedia.com
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A St. Thomas man accused of throwing stones at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in London was one of dozens of people profiled in a police intelligence report prepared…
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