Edmonton teen, 13, attacked by a man swinging a knife while walking home from school
A 13-year-old boy was attacked by a man with a weapon while he was walking home from school in north Edmonton Monday, an incident that was caught on camera.
“I was walking peacefully all by myself, then suddenly I just get jumped by an adult holding a knife on my stomach,” the boy said in an interview Thursday afternoon.
CTV News Edmonton has agreed to withhold his identity for safety reasons.
Video of the apparent attack shows the teen walking down the sidewalk at about 3:15 p.m. in the Kildare neighbourhood, when a man in an orange shirt began swinging his right arm at him.
The teen scrambled to get away, falling on the sidewalk and rolling onto the street.
The video appears to show the man pursuing and standing over him with his arm in the air.
Yelling can be heard on the video, but it’s not clear what’s being said. Someone then started blaring a car horn.
The video cuts out with the man appearing to still be standing over the teen.
The teen said the man ran away because witnesses were honking and yelling.
“He wouldn’t have run, if it wasn’t for them,” he believes. “I’m very shocked right now. Every time I hear there’s a knock on the door, I get scared.”
The boy was not stabbed, but said he was left bruised from falling down during the incident.
MAN ARRESTED AND CHARGED
A 20-year-old-man named Silas Parsons was arrested near the scene shortly after the attack, Edmonton police confirmed Thursday.
The victim provided video of a tactical team surrounding a home.
An armoured vehicle is seen parked on the front lawn, as several officers stand behind it for cover. At one point the video captures an apparent flashbang device used by officers.
“Silas, we know you’re inside the residence,” an officer is heard over a loudspeaker.
“Your house is surrounded. The only way that I can ensure your safety is for you to exit the front door of your house with nothing in your hands and follow all verbal direction.”
Parsons was charged with possession of a weapon, assault with a weapon and assault of a police officer.
FAMILY STILL SCARED
The boy said he hasn’t gone to school since the incident.
“I’m still scared even to go into my backyard.”
The boy’s father said he’s attempting to get a restraining order against the accused, because he believes officials have already released him back into the neighbourhood pending future court dates.
“It’s a miserable situation. Since that incident, all of us are sleeping in the same bedroom,” he said. “I don’t know how come this happened. To be honest, even as an adult, I’m concerned about my safety and my family’s safety.”
The mother of the man who was charged also spoke to CTV News Edmonton.
She said her son has a mental health disorder, and she believes funding cuts resulting in fewer visits from a case worker have led him to self medicate.
None of the charges against Parsons have been proven in court.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s David Ewasuk
Correction
A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the teen as a girl, when in fact the alleged victim is a boy. We apologize for this error.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.