The police in Toronto Canada have arrested and charged a suspect accused of throwing buckets of faeces on five people in three separate incidents.
Samuel Opoku, according to investigators was arrested on Tuesday night in the downtown area. He has been charged with five counts of assault with a weapon and five counts of mischief interfere with property.
Samuel is set to appear in Court on Wednesday.
Toronto police allege a man threw liquefied faecal matter on a woman and a young person on Friday at the John P. Robarts Research Library, on a man and a woman at the Scott Library on Sunday and at a woman on Monday. According to police, the attacks appear to be random.
Const. Alex Li, the spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service, acknowledged that the incidents were unusual for the city
“It’s disturbing. It definitely is. It’s very disturbing. Let’s just call it what it is,” Li told CBC Toronto on Tuesday night. “We are definitely, as an organization, taking this very seriously.”
Const. Douglas-Cook said the most recent attack took place just before midnight Monday at a major intersection in the city’s downtown core.
According to the most recent victim of the attacks, she said a man in a yellow construction hat and dark blue jacket allegedly walked up to her and poured a bucket of liquefied faecal matter over her before running away.
The alleged assault was closely similar to narrations of other victims of similar acts on separate university campuses.
Const Douglas Cook said investigators have not been able to pick up on a pattern among the alleged victims, noting they do not appear to have any connection to each other and did not recognize the suspect.
“I’m not seeing any consistency with any one group being targeted, and that includes gender or race or anything at this point,” Douglas-Cook said.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said the attacks were “inexplicable” and encouraged the public to co-operate in helping police close the case.
Mayor John Tory went on to express relief in a tweet at the arrest.”Great work by Toronto Police arresting an individual in the ‘faeces attacks’ investigation. He can’t face justice or be given help until apprehended and it seems our police have that in hand,” Tory said.
“I hope this arrest will help calm concern on campuses and across the city.”
Great work by @TorontoPolice arresting an individual in the “feces attacks” investigation. He can’t face justice or be given help until apprehended and it seems our police have that in hand. I hope this arrest will help calm concern on campuses and across the city. https://t.co/AJ2kI6Y9Dt
— John Tory (@JohnTory) November 27, 2019
The recurring incidents drew a lot of attention on social media amongst Toronto residents, who are utterly disgusted by the prospects of crossing path with the suspect.
But Dr Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist at Toronto General Hospital, said the public’s understandable concern need not be complicated by concerns for their health.
“Once in awhile a pathogen can slip past the goalie and cause an infection, but certainly if someone had an exposure like this the risk is still very, very low,” he said.
He said that” while faecal matter teems with bacteria, the human immune system is well-equipped to neutralize any contact with the substance — regardless of its source.”
Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook made known the fact that officers have recovered the bucket used during the most recent incident and handed it in to forensics, to aid in investigations.
