It was a horrendous, unprovoked attack captured on video.
Cobourg Police are investigating after a 15-year-old was beaten unconscious in broad daylight over the lunch hour on Division Street on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
The video shows the youth standing outside Tim Horton’s/Circle K Convenience store having lunch at approximately 12:30 p.m. It was lunch time for grades nine and ten students at St. Mary School on Birchwood Trail. It’s common for students to use any number of food outlets along Division Street over the lunch period.
The video shows a number of other youths gathered around the area of the front of the business.
The aunt of the teenager said the video shows it was clearly a unprovoked, premeditated attack.
A suspect bats the food from the victims hands.
Then lands 15 strong punches to the victims head and knees him two times in the face. The entire time the victim tries his best to cover his face to deflect the punches being thrown at him. He’s literally helpless as the onslaught continues.
“It wasn’t a fight – it was an assault in broad daylight.”
“People had their phones out before the fight started so they knew about it.”
When the aunt first got a phone call stating her nephew, “was hit at Tim Hortons,” she immediately thought he was hit by a car.
“He has no history of fights or aggression.”
The aunt and the victims mother immediately went to the school where they discovered he’d been severely assaulted.
Four other students remained on scene and phoned the school to let them know he’d been assaulted.
The school told them to walk back where he was assessed and an ambulance was called.
The youth was rushed to Northumberland Hills Hospital where he stayed until 9 p.m. going through a series of tests including a cat scan.
“He was beaten unconscious, his eye socket is broken and will require plastic surgery, his glasses were broken, his phone was broken. He will be out of school for weeks.”
“He’s got a long road ahead of him.”
The assault appears to be totally unprovoked watching the video, but what the aunt finds so disturbing is that no one stepped in to help.
“It was absolutely devastating and heartbreaking to walk into a (hospital) room and have him tell us that not one person did anything and there was video circulating.”
On Wednesday, the aunt posted her thoughts on social media, where she received other videos from people about the same suspect that allegedly attacked her nephew in other fights.
The entire family is heartbroken at the response from students and people who were at both stores that walked by the attack and did nothing.
“We need to do better as parents and as a community so that something like this never happens again.”
“There were 20 to 30 students stood there. Not one student intervened. They decided to videotape it and you can hear them in the video laughing. Not one person in any of the stores intervened.
Not one person getting gas. You can watch adults walk into Tim Horton’s and pass him on the ground unconscious.”
The aunt says she understands people might be scared to get involved, but call 9-1-1.
“Not one call came into 9-1-1, not one person reported this assault in broad daylight, in Cobourg.”
Then the video was posted on social media and circulated quickly around the school.
“He’ll be absolutely traumatized. Can you imagine walking back into a community or school that watched you be beaten unconscious and not one person, adult or student did absolutely anything.”
“It’s shameful. It’s disgusting.”
The youths mother is extremely upset over the assault.
“She couldn’t sleep, she’s caught crying constantly. The assault is bad enough, but to know that not one person took action in the town that you grew up your whole life where you think your kids are safe is scary.”
Living in Cobourg her entire life, the aunt said, “I never in my wildest dreams ever thought that my family would be going through this. I’m in shock. I’m sad this is our community and I’m sad this is Cobourg.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
