Last month, a Waterloo, Ontario pro-choice advocate claimed she was attacked by a man who tossed a bucket of red paint in her face and yelled “murderer” as she was meeting a friend for lunch at a local Tim Horton’s. Police were investigating the incident as a hate crime.
Now, police are saying the alleged assault never happened, and the 41-year-old woman is being charged with mischief, according to CBC.
The nearby SHORE centre, which used to be Planned Parenthood, went on lockdown after news of the “attack” broke.
Tues. aft. a pro-choice supporter was attacked with red paint and called a murderer outside of a Tim Horton’s in Kitchener. We have not received any threats or had any concerns at our location, but have locked our door as a precaution until the police investigation is concluded.
— SHORE Centre (@SHORECentreWR) March 7, 2018
I was very disturbed to hear that a local pro-choice advocate was assaulted because of her work concerning women’s reproductive health. I hope that @WRPSToday is able to find and hold the assailant accountable. @SHORECentreWR
— Catherine Fife (@CFifeKW) March 7, 2018
The woman even did an interview with CBC, telling the network she felt “overwhelmed” after the assault.
“The can of paint broke blood vessels in one eye and left her with blurred vision, but she said she’s physically fine, otherwise. She believes the paint was latex,” CBC reported.
The woman is reportedly a locally known pro-choice activist who told press she had been threatened and harassed because of her activities.
“At the conclusion of the investigation, detectives have determined the assault did not take place,” said Waterloo Regional Police spokesperson Cherri Greeno.
“SHORE Centre would like to thank the Waterloo Regional Police Service for their support over the past few weeks and for their thorough investigation,” said SHORE Centre in a statement.