Police say a 37-year-old man faces charges after a family in a northeast London neighbourhood was assaulted last weekend.
On June 20, officers were called after a vehicle was reported to be driving "recklessly" down a residential street in the area of Huron Street and Gatewood Place near a family standing outside.
London police say an argument began between the driver and a family member, which resulted in "racially-motivated" comments made by the driver towards the family.
The altercation quickly escalated when the driver and passenger got out of the vehicle and allegedly approached the family while holding a metal bat and large hunting knife.
Police report that the pair threatened other people in the area before returning to their vehicle and fleeing before police arrived.
No one was injured during the incident.
Following an investigation, officers have identified the driver based on descriptions provided by witnesses. He was located and arrested at around 11 p.m. Friday. The passenger is still unknown to police at this time.
As a result, a 37-year-old man is charged with three counts of assault with a weapon, one count of dangerous operation of a vehicle, one count of operation while prohibited, and failing to comply with a release order.
The accused is being held in custody pending a court appearance on Tuesday.
"While comments made to the family were racially motivated, it is important to note that there are no specific hate crimes listed in the criminal code," London police said in a statement on Monday. "When crimes have underlying hate-related motivation, this information is presented during sentencing and will be taken into account during the judicial process."
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident that can help identify the passenger is asked to call the London Police Service at 519-661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
