Man charged in connection to disturbance at Wortley Village Pride event speaks out
![Wortley Village Pride Festival - London-July 2022 A man was arrested and charged with criminal offences after what London Police call a “large physical disturbance” during the Wortley Pride Festival on July 16, 2022. (Source: Jason Plant)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2022/7/18/wortley-village-pride-event---july-2022-1-5992586-1658182800991.png)
London police have identified the person charged in connection with an altercation at the Wortley Pride event over the weekend.
According to a release, 37-year-old Richard Sillers of London has been charged with causing a disturbance and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public.
As CTV News previously reported, police were contacted around 2 p.m. on July 16 in relation to a disturbance in the area of Wortley Road and Elmwood Avenue where a Pride event was in progress in a public green space.
On Tuesday, Sillers spoke to CTV News London over the phone and claimed that the narrative surrounding the incident is wrong.
“Stay tuned and get your popcorn [for] when the truth is told,” he said.
Sillers added there are two sides to what occurred on Saturday in Wortley Village, but would not elaborate, preferring to first tell his story to online outlets he considers to be “truthful”.
He said his family is not homophobic, adding that his wife is bisexual.
"What I want to get rid of, right away, right out of the gate is the whole portraying us as a homophobic family. We are…my family is part of that community, unless I guess they are not accepting of everybody unless you go with their whole narrative,” Sillers said.
As a small business owner he fears that the attention will impact his ability to attain future work.
Sillers has been released from custody and is expected to appear in London court on Aug. 25 in relation to the charges.
— With files from CTV News London’s Daryl Newcombe
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6968186.1721272613!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
JD Vance introduces himself as Trump's running mate and makes direct appeal to his native Rust Belt
Introducing himself to the nation after being tapped as Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance used his Wednesday night address to the Republican National Convention to share the story of his hardscrabble upbringing and make the case that his party best understands the challenges facing struggling Americans.
Two deaths in listeriosis outbreak linked to plant-based milk recall
Two people have died after an outbreak of listeriosis trigged a national recall of certain plant-based milks, the Public Health Agency of Canada said Wednesday.
Quebec filmmaker denied replacement hand after airplane propeller accident
The War Amps is speaking out after one of its members who lost most of his hand in an airplane propeller accident was denied coverage by Quebec for a mechanical hand.
Video shows B.C. grizzly basking in clawfoot tub
A donated clawfoot bathtub has become the preferred lounging spot for a pair of B.C. grizzly bears, who have been taking turns relaxing and reclining in it – with minimal sibling squabbling – for the past year.
John Deere ends support of 'social or cultural awareness' events, distances from inclusion efforts
Farm equipment maker John Deere says it will no longer sponsor 'social or cultural awareness' events, becoming the latest major U.S. company to distance itself from diversity and inclusion measures after being targeted by conservative backlash.
Rare photos reveal uncontacted tribe in Peruvian Amazon as loggers move in
Rare images of the Mashco Piro, an uncontacted Indigenous tribe in the remote Peruvian Amazon, were published on Tuesday by Survival International,
'I feel like he did not die in vain': Family responds to report on tortured B.C. boy's death
The heartbreak over the death of an Indigenous 11-year-old Fraser Valley boy, tortured and then ultimately killed by his foster parents, was felt by all who knew him.
Biden tests positive for COVID, will self-isolate in Delaware
U.S. President Joe Biden, under pressure from fellow Democrats to drop his re-election campaign, tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting Las Vegas on Wednesday and is self-isolating after experiencing mild symptoms, the White House said.
Day three of the RNC: Trump made an appearance, JD Vance addressed the crowd
The third day of the Republican National Convention was underway in Milwaukee on Wednesday evening, with speakers including Donald Trump's newly selected vice-presidential pick, JD Vance, as well as the former U.S. president's son, Donald Trump Jr.