'Rocked me to the core,' says man charged in Costco incident
David Lavoie, the man accused of assaulting a Muslim man in a Costco parking lot last month, is speaking out and tells a much different story of how events transpired.
“It has rocked me to the core, to be called a racist,” he says.
Lavoie claims the events began when a vehicle pulled in front of his truck as he was preparing to leave.
“I gave my truck a honk of the horn, which, if you’re right in front of my vehicle, you will hear that horn.”
Lavoie claims there was no response from the car, and he proceeded to honk twice more, with no response from the vehicle blocking his path.
“I said they aren’t moving, they aren’t doing anything, not acknowledging, not validating. So I got out of the truck and banged on the side window, nothing.”
He then claims to have come around the front window, to see inside the vehicle, and ask them to move once again.
“And it was like deer in headlights, that straight-looking gaze, not validating, not looking, not communicating, nothing.”
At this point the situation escalates when Lavoie opens the passenger door and a verbal altercation takes place. Moments later when the car is parked two men exit the vehicle with raised fists according Lavoie.
“Both their fists were raised and they were ready to attack me at the same time, I noticed by looking at the vehicle it had Michigan plates on.”
During the ensuing verbal altercation, Lavoie claims to have said, 'F-ing Americans, go back to your country.'
However Dr. Rubina Tahir, who was in the car, remembers it differently, providing a written response to our request.
“I know what I heard…I heard a visibly irate man tell us to go back to our f-ing country.. and nothing about America.”
It's something her brother Nawaz Tahir, a spokesperson for the London Muslim Mosque who was not present for the incident, says strikes a very raw nerve.
“It’s that whole package of the venom, the statement, the anger that’s behind it. That’s troubling to the recipient.”
Lavoie says that as an Indigenous veteran he has worked for years to push for equality in his role as a social worker.
The assertion in the media at the time portraying him as a racist has hurt him personally and professionally.
Lavoie’s lawyer Phil Millar takes issue with how the story was portrayed.
“No one called to get his side of the story, and so the media kind of took an easy story and in the end has destroyed or damaged David’s life. Because now he’s in hiding, he’s getting harassed online, he’s being called a terrorist and a racist."
Lavoie is charged with one count of assault, with a court date on Feb. 16, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Police investigating shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
3 Indian nationals accused of murdering Hardeep Singh Nijjar facing court in B.C.
Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are due to face court Tuesday over the killing that triggered a major diplomatic rift with India.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.