One man is in serious condition after being shot during a fight at a Kipps Lane variety store Sunday night.
A group of males entered the Mac's at 1050 Kipps Lane around 11:37 p.m. and started fighting, police said.
Another male armed with a gun burst into the store and began shooting, police said.
"Several shots were fired striking one adult male, while the remaining involved parties fled the scene," police said.
Police cruisers and a forensic identification van were at the store, located east of Arbour Glen Cres., Monday morning.
Mon June 27
Up to the minute news and information for London Ontario Canada and surrounding regions.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sinkhole hits commuters
London drivers are steering clear of Richmond and Oxford streets to avoid a major sinkhole - and a giant headache - Monday morning.
The city's second major sinkhole in the past four years started Saturday after a manhole tunnel caved in, creating a gaping hole that kept growing.
As the work week commute began Monday, drivers sought alternative routes, causing traffic jams on streets running parallel to Richmond.
Long lines of vehicles formed on Talbot, Waterloo, and Colborne streets.
Meanwhile, there were few drivers bold enough to drive down the single lanes remaining open on Oxford.
Mon June 13
The city's second major sinkhole in the past four years started Saturday after a manhole tunnel caved in, creating a gaping hole that kept growing.
As the work week commute began Monday, drivers sought alternative routes, causing traffic jams on streets running parallel to Richmond.
Long lines of vehicles formed on Talbot, Waterloo, and Colborne streets.
Meanwhile, there were few drivers bold enough to drive down the single lanes remaining open on Oxford.
Mon June 13
Outlaws back in town
The rebirth of the Outlaws motorcycle gang in London is raising the spectre of clashes with their traditional rivals, the Hells Angels.
But the head of the province’s biker unit says there seems to be enough crime in Southwestern Ontario to go around.
“There appears to be enough business to allow them to co-exist,” said Det.-Sgt. Len Isnor of the Ontario Biker Enforcement Unit.
“Having said that, if the market gets to a saturation point, that could lead to problems.”
A person with a past on the other side of the law suggested the area crime business has room for both, but the rivals will wrestle for control.
“I think you will find there is going to be some violence, but it won’t be direct,” he said.
The clubs will use street gangs and prospects to intimidate each other, rather than go head-to-head, he said.
The Hells Angels also are quietly trying to beef up their numbers, said the source, who has knowledge of the local biker scene.
Both the source and Isnor agreed the Outlaws are back and are going to make it known.
Police believe the gang has an east-end clubhouse, painted in traditional black and white Outlaws colours, Isnor said.
The Free Press source said the Outlaws will wear their colours whenever possible to prove they’re a full chapter: “They’ll have a visible presence this summer.”
That’s a contrast to the Hells Angels, who have kept a low profile in London for the last few years while consolidating control on the drug market and other criminal activities, the source said.
“They have more money and support than the Outlaws. They are more corporate. The Outlaws still think they are playing cowboys and Indians.”
A London chapter of the Outlaws began in 1977 but by 2002 was faltering. The Hells Angels had moved into Ontario and convinced dozens of area Outlaws to join them.
A provincewide raid called Project Retire in 2002 put dozens of Ontario Outlaws, including some local leaders, behind bars.
Some remaining Outlaws and their supporters tried to start a Bandidos chapter, but that experiment ended in disaster with the massacre of eight Bandidos in 2006 and prison terms for six others guilty of the killings.
Two years ago, the city had the Outlaws clubhouse on Egerton St. demolished.
But the main targets in Project Retire have either served their time or had their charges dropped.
In London, “the Outlaws never really left,” Isnor said. Their membership fell below the three necessary for a chapter, he said. “They were there. They went into dormancy.”
The Outlaws’ roots in the city could help keep peace with the Hells Angels.
“The Hells Angels are the new kids on the block,” Isnor said.
The revived Outlaws are a mix of older bikers with a history of gang membership and newcomers, Isnor said. They are not patching over existing Hells Angels, he said.
Mon June 13
But the head of the province’s biker unit says there seems to be enough crime in Southwestern Ontario to go around.
“There appears to be enough business to allow them to co-exist,” said Det.-Sgt. Len Isnor of the Ontario Biker Enforcement Unit.
“Having said that, if the market gets to a saturation point, that could lead to problems.”
A person with a past on the other side of the law suggested the area crime business has room for both, but the rivals will wrestle for control.
“I think you will find there is going to be some violence, but it won’t be direct,” he said.
The clubs will use street gangs and prospects to intimidate each other, rather than go head-to-head, he said.
The Hells Angels also are quietly trying to beef up their numbers, said the source, who has knowledge of the local biker scene.
Both the source and Isnor agreed the Outlaws are back and are going to make it known.
Police believe the gang has an east-end clubhouse, painted in traditional black and white Outlaws colours, Isnor said.
The Free Press source said the Outlaws will wear their colours whenever possible to prove they’re a full chapter: “They’ll have a visible presence this summer.”
That’s a contrast to the Hells Angels, who have kept a low profile in London for the last few years while consolidating control on the drug market and other criminal activities, the source said.
“They have more money and support than the Outlaws. They are more corporate. The Outlaws still think they are playing cowboys and Indians.”
A London chapter of the Outlaws began in 1977 but by 2002 was faltering. The Hells Angels had moved into Ontario and convinced dozens of area Outlaws to join them.
A provincewide raid called Project Retire in 2002 put dozens of Ontario Outlaws, including some local leaders, behind bars.
Some remaining Outlaws and their supporters tried to start a Bandidos chapter, but that experiment ended in disaster with the massacre of eight Bandidos in 2006 and prison terms for six others guilty of the killings.
Two years ago, the city had the Outlaws clubhouse on Egerton St. demolished.
But the main targets in Project Retire have either served their time or had their charges dropped.
In London, “the Outlaws never really left,” Isnor said. Their membership fell below the three necessary for a chapter, he said. “They were there. They went into dormancy.”
The Outlaws’ roots in the city could help keep peace with the Hells Angels.
“The Hells Angels are the new kids on the block,” Isnor said.
The revived Outlaws are a mix of older bikers with a history of gang membership and newcomers, Isnor said. They are not patching over existing Hells Angels, he said.
Mon June 13
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Grease fire causes 55K in damages
Cooking grease caused a $55,000 kitchen fire, injuring one person and closing a busy city road for about an hour.
London firefighters were called to a house on Wharncliffe Rd. N., near Oxford St. W. about 9 p.m. Saturday and found smoke pouring out of the back of the house and a working fire in the kitchen.
Firefighters quickly put out the blaze, which caused extensive smoke and fire damage throughout the house.
Paramedics treated one person at the scene for burns to the right hand.
Firefighters closed a stretch of Wharncliffe Rd. for about an hour while they battled the blaze.
Sun June 12
London firefighters were called to a house on Wharncliffe Rd. N., near Oxford St. W. about 9 p.m. Saturday and found smoke pouring out of the back of the house and a working fire in the kitchen.
Firefighters quickly put out the blaze, which caused extensive smoke and fire damage throughout the house.
Paramedics treated one person at the scene for burns to the right hand.
Firefighters closed a stretch of Wharncliffe Rd. for about an hour while they battled the blaze.
Sun June 12
Man punched, robbed
London police are looking for a man after another was robbed and punched in the face.
A 19-year-old man was walking in the area of Edmonton and Dundas streets about 6 p.m. Friday when a man approached him, demanded he empty his pockets and punched him.
The robber fled with a cell phone.
Police are looking for a 5'6" white man, about 130 lbs, between 19 and 21 years old, clean shaven with a shaved head. He was wearing a back shirt with purple graffiti and blue jeans at the time.
Sun June 12
A 19-year-old man was walking in the area of Edmonton and Dundas streets about 6 p.m. Friday when a man approached him, demanded he empty his pockets and punched him.
The robber fled with a cell phone.
Police are looking for a 5'6" white man, about 130 lbs, between 19 and 21 years old, clean shaven with a shaved head. He was wearing a back shirt with purple graffiti and blue jeans at the time.
Sun June 12
Women hit in head with brick
A 21-year-old man has been charged after a woman was struck in the back of the head with a brick in Wortley Village.
London police said two 19-year-old women and a 21-year-old man were walking on Wortley Rd. near Victor St. just before 3 a.m. Saturday when they got into an argument with another man they didn't know.
Police said the man walked down a side street and returned seconds later. Police said that's when one of the women was struck with a brick in the back of the head.
She was taken to hospital. Police said her injuries were minor.
The man fled.
When police dogs tracked him down, officers seized a small amount of marijuana.
A 21-year-old London man has been charged with assault with a weapon.
Sun June 12
London police said two 19-year-old women and a 21-year-old man were walking on Wortley Rd. near Victor St. just before 3 a.m. Saturday when they got into an argument with another man they didn't know.
Police said the man walked down a side street and returned seconds later. Police said that's when one of the women was struck with a brick in the back of the head.
She was taken to hospital. Police said her injuries were minor.
The man fled.
When police dogs tracked him down, officers seized a small amount of marijuana.
A 21-year-old London man has been charged with assault with a weapon.
Sun June 12
Police seek three in robbery
London police are looking for three men after another man was robbed early Sunday.
A 22-year-old man was walking near Bonaventure Dr. and Buchan Rd. about 2:40 a.m. when he was approached by three other men he didn’t know.
London police said two of the men grabbed his arms while the third punched him in the stomach several times. One then grabbed his wallet, took $80 and fled.
Police are looking for three Middle Eastern men, aged 18 to 25 and six-feet tall. Two were wearing black hoodies and jeans at the time of the robbery. The third was wearing a red zip-up style hoodie. All three were wearing black bandanas covering their faces.
Sun June 12
A 22-year-old man was walking near Bonaventure Dr. and Buchan Rd. about 2:40 a.m. when he was approached by three other men he didn’t know.
London police said two of the men grabbed his arms while the third punched him in the stomach several times. One then grabbed his wallet, took $80 and fled.
Police are looking for three Middle Eastern men, aged 18 to 25 and six-feet tall. Two were wearing black hoodies and jeans at the time of the robbery. The third was wearing a red zip-up style hoodie. All three were wearing black bandanas covering their faces.
Sun June 12
Friday, June 10, 2011
Women assaulted at casino
SARNIA - A Sarnia man who held a broken glass to his former girlfriend's neck behind the bar at the Point Edward casino was sentenced to almost four years in jail Tuesday.
Joshua Atkinson, 37, pleaded guilty in Sarnia court to assault with a weapon, forcible confinement and violating a non-communication order with the woman while in jail in March.
An OPP officer approached Atkinson, who had his arm around the woman's neck, after casino staff noticed odd behaviour.
Atkinson went behind the bar, walking back and forth with the woman.
A video recording the March 16 incident taken by a casino camera was played in court.
Atkinson broke a glass and held it to the woman's neck. She told the court when he broke the glass she'd been quite worried. At one point Atkinson said he should kill himself.
Joshua Atkinson, 37, pleaded guilty in Sarnia court to assault with a weapon, forcible confinement and violating a non-communication order with the woman while in jail in March.
An OPP officer approached Atkinson, who had his arm around the woman's neck, after casino staff noticed odd behaviour.
Atkinson went behind the bar, walking back and forth with the woman.
A video recording the March 16 incident taken by a casino camera was played in court.
Atkinson broke a glass and held it to the woman's neck. She told the court when he broke the glass she'd been quite worried. At one point Atkinson said he should kill himself.
Thousands of jobs gone
London and area lost 6,400 jobs over the last 12 months, but the unemployment rate has changed little, as job seekers are giving up, Statistics Canada reported Friday.
London's unemployment rate remains unchanged for the third consecutive month, 8.3%, as the national average dropped to 7.4% from 7.6% and the Ontario rate stayed at 7.9%.
But total employment in the city and region dropped more than 2%, said Vincent Ferrao, workforce analyst with the federal agency.
Fri June 10
London's unemployment rate remains unchanged for the third consecutive month, 8.3%, as the national average dropped to 7.4% from 7.6% and the Ontario rate stayed at 7.9%.
But total employment in the city and region dropped more than 2%, said Vincent Ferrao, workforce analyst with the federal agency.
Fri June 10
Man stabbed
London police used surveillance footage to identify a suspect in a Friday morning stabbing.
A male was approached from behind by a 20-year-old man and stabbed near Richmond and Kent streets around 2:14 a.m., police said.
The suspect fled, but police located him using footage from a downtown camera.
The injured male was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A London man is charged with an assault with a weapon.
Fri June 10
A male was approached from behind by a 20-year-old man and stabbed near Richmond and Kent streets around 2:14 a.m., police said.
The suspect fled, but police located him using footage from a downtown camera.
The injured male was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A London man is charged with an assault with a weapon.
Fri June 10
One killed in collision
One person was pronounced dead at the scene after a crash Thursday night on Bluewater Highway north of Grand Bend.
Police said the crash happened about 10 p.m. when a driver pulled out to pass another northbound vehicle.
The vehicle drifted onto the west shoulder and then into the ditch, striking a tree. It came to rest at the Oakwood Golf Course, Huron OPP said.
The highway was closed for several hours while the crash was investigated.
Name of the male driver has not been released.
Fri June 10
Police said the crash happened about 10 p.m. when a driver pulled out to pass another northbound vehicle.
The vehicle drifted onto the west shoulder and then into the ditch, striking a tree. It came to rest at the Oakwood Golf Course, Huron OPP said.
The highway was closed for several hours while the crash was investigated.
Name of the male driver has not been released.
Fri June 10
Autopsy results awaited
- He was often seen strolling around the neighbourhood and doing yard work, while his wife rarely left the house. Neighbours paint a contrasting picture of Roger and Jacqueline Vermeersch, believed to be the couple found dead in a Brock St. E. home Wednesday.
Oxford OPP said an autopsy is under way on the two bodies.
An unconfirmed report said one’s mouth was found duct-taped shut.
Speculation has left tongues wagging in the community about what happened to the elderly couple, often seen sitting inside their garage.
Fri June 10
Oxford OPP said an autopsy is under way on the two bodies.
An unconfirmed report said one’s mouth was found duct-taped shut.
Speculation has left tongues wagging in the community about what happened to the elderly couple, often seen sitting inside their garage.
Fri June 10
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
City hall defends one-year ban
London’s one-year ban on new methadone clinics was defended by city hall officials Tuesday as a formal challenge against the temporary restriction began.
It’s been six months since the red-hot issue of where such treatment centres should be allowed was cooled by city council approving the year-long moratorium, giving staff until this November to examine permanent rules.
But that so-called interim control bylaw has been challenged by a provincewide chain of clinics, whose appeal went to the Ontario Municipal Board Tuesday.
“The point I’d like to emphasize is the study we’re doing is not relating just to land-use impacts,” John Fleming, the city’s planning boss, told the OMB hearing.
Wed June 8
It’s been six months since the red-hot issue of where such treatment centres should be allowed was cooled by city council approving the year-long moratorium, giving staff until this November to examine permanent rules.
But that so-called interim control bylaw has been challenged by a provincewide chain of clinics, whose appeal went to the Ontario Municipal Board Tuesday.
“The point I’d like to emphasize is the study we’re doing is not relating just to land-use impacts,” John Fleming, the city’s planning boss, told the OMB hearing.
Wed June 8
Abuser jailed
- A man who subjected three successive girlfriends to horrific violence was sentenced to more than five and a half years in jail Tuesday.
Marcell Sydney Page, 26, of Sarnia, had previously been convicted of 35 offences against the women during separate relationships with them between 2005 and 2009.
The women endured horrific violence and emotional terror with impunity, assistant Crown attorney Joe Perfetto said during an earlier court appearance.
Wed June 8
Marcell Sydney Page, 26, of Sarnia, had previously been convicted of 35 offences against the women during separate relationships with them between 2005 and 2009.
The women endured horrific violence and emotional terror with impunity, assistant Crown attorney Joe Perfetto said during an earlier court appearance.
Wed June 8
Closing arguments in Vanier case
Londoner Robert Vanier appeared in a Toronto courtroom Tuesday on a charge of threatening to kill an investment counsellor and former business associate.
The former president of Onco Petroleum is charged with threatening to kill Jim Hunter, 74, during phone calls made to Hunter's Toronto home on Oct. 20, 2009.
After hearing from Hunter, Vanier and Vanier's wife Terri Ramage, Ontario Court Justice Peter Harris adjourned the case to June 15 for closing arguments. The case has been repeatedly adjourned during the last 18 months.
Wed June 8
The former president of Onco Petroleum is charged with threatening to kill Jim Hunter, 74, during phone calls made to Hunter's Toronto home on Oct. 20, 2009.
After hearing from Hunter, Vanier and Vanier's wife Terri Ramage, Ontario Court Justice Peter Harris adjourned the case to June 15 for closing arguments. The case has been repeatedly adjourned during the last 18 months.
Wed June 8
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