Ontario premier condemns assault on air cadet captain in Hamilton
Premier Doug Ford called the attack on a Hamilton air cadet captain "absolutely disgusting" and urged parents to discipline their children, while police charged a 12-year-old and a 48-year-old woman with assault.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the assault that left air cadet captain Kenneth Kunkel with life-altering injuries was "absolutely disgusting" and urged parents to physically discipline the youths involved.
Ford made the comments at a news conference in Peterborough, noting that the incident, which occurred on Nov. 1 in Hamilton, involved two youths who blew an air horn into the cadets' ears and a woman who allegedly struck Kunkel, causing him to fall.
Kunkel, 59, was supervising the cadets outside a restaurant when the confrontation began. He was knocked down and subsequently suffered spinal injuries that required same-day surgery and ongoing rehabilitation.
Police have charged a 12-year-old boy with level-one assault and aggravated assault, and a 48-year-old woman with aggravated assault. A second youth is also under investigation, though police have not released that individual's age.
Kunkel's son, Christopher, said his father has been involved with the cadet program for nearly two decades and has inspired former cadets to join the police, the RCMP and the Canadian Armed Forces. A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support Kunkel's recovery.
The investigation remains active, and police are asking anyone with information to come forward.