THUNDER BAY – Police are investigating an assault at the Water Street bus terminal that allegedly left a 52-year-old Indigenous man bloodied on the ground.
The Thunder Bay Police Service on Thursday afternoon confirmed they are investigating the incident, which happened around 9:45 p.m. the previous evening.
Photos purportedly of the aftermath of the incident, which show the man bleeding from the head while on the ground, were widely circulated on social media, prompting a response from Thunder Bay mayor Keith Hobbs.
“We are deeply saddened by an incident of violence that occurred Wednesday evening in the Water Street area. We have reported the incident and follow up social media posts to Thunder Bay Police Service and commend those people who intervened and helped,” Hobbs said in a statement.
“As a city, we condemn hate-motivated crimes and discriminatory attitudes. We encourage everyone to report hate crimes and stand up to racism. Violence, hate crimes, discriminatory attitudes and actions are unacceptable in our community. We are better than this.”
Police said the 52-year-old victim was taken to hospital for medical attention. Investigators are speaking to witnesses and following up with the investigation, police added.
When asked about whether the case was being investigated as a racially motivated offence, a police spokesperson responded that it is the “early stages of the investigation.”
