Toronto man arrested for throwing faeces on people

A Toronto man has been charged for throwing faeces on unsuspecting people in apparently random attacks on university campuses and a downtown street in Canada‘s largest city.

Samuel Opoku, 23, was arrested late Tuesday and faces 10 counts of mischief and assault with a weapon. 

Please consider a retweet. This man is alleged to be throwing feces on people in Toronto. If you know who he is call Toronto Police 416-808-2222 or remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477 or https://t.co/s26uSiNpM8 ^sm pic.twitter.com/AyJHBVF0P1

— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) November 26, 2019

A packed courtroom awaited his brief appearance before a judge on Wednesday.

According to police, he allegedly emptied a bucket of liquified faeces over a mother and child seated at a table at a university library, threw faecal matter onto a woman and a man at another university campus, and emptied a bucket of human waste on a woman on a downtown Toronto street.

A witness to the crime at the University of Toronto downtown campus told CTV News she saw one guy covered in faeces which she initially thought was coffee – when all of a sudden, “the smell hit”.

“I thought I was going to faint … I will never forget that smell.”

The incidents occurred on Friday, Sunday and Monday, respectively.

The bucket used in the most recent attack was recovered by police and is being tested to determine its contents, including possible pathogens.

Canadian media showed images of a firefighter hosing down the scene of the latest attack on Monday and surveillance video that showed the suspect in a yellow construction hat carrying a bucket.

Toronto mayor John Tory thanked the police for their quick response.

“I hope this arrest will help calm concern on campuses and across the city,” he said in a tweet.

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

According to the Toronto Star, a spokesperson for the Toronto Police, Victor Kwong, said that despite the victims of the attacks being all Asians, they do not have a reason to believe the attacks were racially motivated.