Mayor Rob Ford was the apparent victim of a minor assault Saturday afternoon at the Taste of Little Italy festival on College Street.
According to witnesses, Ford was talking and having his picture taken with people at College and Crawford when someone tossed a drink at him.
“He was being awesome, he was just talking to everybody, like taking pictures with everyone,” said Zelda Doyle, an amusement concession operator who witnessed the incident. “All of a sudden a slushy just came flying in the air.”
The alleged assailant did not score a direct hit, Doyle said. “I think it just shot up at him, more than anything.”
“He was pretty mad, he just gave that face like, who threw it?” said Robert Garcia, who was working at a BBQ chicken stand a few feet away. Garcia said Ford “got wet” in the attack, although shortly afterwards there were no visible signs that the mayor received much more than a small splashing.
Several witnesses NOW spoke to did not see who threw the drink, but said that right after it was hurled a young woman started running west on College. Mayor Ford and at least one of his staffers took off in pursuit. One of his assistants reportedly apprehended her a short distance away, and police officers who happened to be near by were called over.
Three witnesses identified the woman in the photo above, wearing a green dress and speaking with the mayor’s brother Doug Ford, as the person who ran after the drink was thrown. The image was posted to Twitter by @DooCA83.
The woman was led away by police.
Police confirmed to NOW that a 27-year-old woman named Shannon Everett was arrested and charged with assault in connection with the incident. She’s scheduled to appear in court at Old City Hall on Tuesday, July 23. Police said the drink used in the alleged assault was “a cup of juice.”
Doug Ford spoke to the alleged assailant after the incident, before police led her away. He described her as “just a young troublemaker.” Doug, who is also the councillor for Etobicoke North, said that most people at the festival were happy to see the mayor.
“People love him,” he said.
Although Mayor Ford continues to be dogged by allegations he smoked crack cocaine as well as speculation he had links to an Etobicoke drug gang busted by the police this week, he had no shortage of fans at the street festival on Saturday.
After the drink-throwing incident, he continued walking down College Street, where he was thronged by people wanting to have their pictures taken with him. At one point, people who apparently had not witnessed the alleged drink attack broke out into a brief chant of “Rob Ford! Rob Ford!”
Other festival-goers appeared surprised to see the mayor however, and several discussed the drug scandal as they watched the mob around him from a distance.
Ford’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
