Sarnia Police Service officials allege: A man was beaten with a baseball bat and had a gun held to his head in a broad daylight assault in Sarnia this week, prompting a high-risk police operation that ended with two men in custody.
Sarnia police say the incident unfolded shortly before 2 p.m. on May 27, when officers were called to the area of Vidal Street South, just north of Devine Street, for reports of an ongoing assault involving three men.
According to investigators, the victim — a 51-year-old homeowner — noticed a man tampering with his ATV in the driveway. He confronted the suspect, a 36-year-old man with no fixed address, while holding a baseball bat for protection. When the suspect moved to the sidewalk, a second man, aged 54 and also of no fixed address, joined him and the confrontation escalated.
Police say the homeowner dropped the bat in an attempt to defuse the situation, but was then attacked by both men, knocked to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked. One of the suspects allegedly picked up the bat and struck the victim multiple times in the leg and abdomen before fleeing to a nearby residence. He returned moments later with what appeared to be a handgun, racked the weapon and held it inches from the victim’s head.
“As approaching police sirens were heard, [one of the suspects] told the victim he would be killed,” Sarnia police said in a statement.
Both suspects fled into a nearby home and barricaded themselves inside before police arrived and contained the scene. Due to the presence of a firearm and the violent nature of the incident, the situation was classified as high-risk.
With the Sarnia Police Emergency Response Team unavailable due to training, the OPP’s Emergency Response and Tactics and Rescue units were called in around 3:30 p.m. They arrived by early evening and fully took over tactical operations by 7 p.m. At 8:20 p.m., after pepper spray was deployed into the residence, both suspects exited and were arrested.
The victim sustained bruising and a split lip but declined medical treatment at the scene.
On the following morning, police executed a search warrant at the home and discovered a .22 calibre pellet handgun concealed inside a piece of furniture.
The 36-year-old man has been charged with assault with a weapon, assault, several firearms-related offences, and multiple breaches of court orders. The 54-year-old man faces charges of assault and uttering threats. Both remain in custody following court appearances.
Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident or captured it on video to contact the Sarnia Police Service.
