Torch Flap not Assault, Just Mischief

As someone posted on the original blog about the incident at the Torch relay in December, assault charges were dropped yesterday against a 19-year-old Kitchener woman for the altercation between torch security and protesters during the Olympic torch's run through Downtown Guelph on December 28th.

As reported yesterday by the Mercury, a new charge of mischief was made against Brittney Simpson. The assault charge was dropped because there was “no reasonable prospect of conviction” according to Assistant Crown attorney Steve Hamilton.

A second person arrested in relation to the incident is still facing an assault charge with an additional mischief charge filed against her in court yesterday. Both Simpson and Kelly Pflug-Back from Guelph will be back in court on March 5th.

If anything the dropping of the assault charge seems to add credence that the tripping of torchbearer Cortney Hansen, though unfortunate, was probably more accidental than many people were willing to believe at the time. What little in terms of eye-witness reports of the incident seemed to indicate as much (although some will disagree, I concede that), and there were many a pitchfork ready to skewer Brittney Simpson for the matter.

What was it that Paul Harvey used to say "And now you know… the rest of the story." Well, some more of it anyway. To be continued...