Nathaniel Veltman murder trial: A recap of week 2
WARNING: The video and the details in this article may be disturbing to some viewers
The trial of Nathaniel Veltman, accused of running down members of the Afzaal family in London, Ont. on June 6, 2021 continued for the second week, and heard testimony from a cab driver, 9-1-1 dispatcher, a witness to the attack, and a detective from the London Police Service.
Here’s what you missed.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Opening statements were made at the Windsor Superior Courthouse on Sept. 11.
Federal prosecutor Sarah Shaikh presented the jury with the evidence the Crown intends to call, in which Veltman intentionally drove his pickup truck into the Afzaal family “because they were Muslims.”
“I was planning on killing,” Veltman told police, according to Shaikh. “I knew what I did. I don’t regret what I did. I admit that it was terrorism.”
The first witnesses to take the stand were an Afzaal family member who told the jury his family was “peace loving” and a forensic identification specialist with the London Police Service who seized and edited surveillance videos as part of the investigation.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
On Sept. 12, a cab driver and 9-1-1 dispatcher took the stand for the prosecution, while two videos and a 9-1-1 call were played for the jury.
In the first video, a heavily damaged black pickup truck entered a London shopping centre moments after a family of five was run down.
The defence has acknowledged the driver of the truck was Nathaniel Veltman.
In the second video, Veltman was seen pulling up beside a taxi cab. The jury heard the cab driver testify that the black pickup truck driver said to him, “Call the cops” followed by “I just hit someone. I just killed someone.”
When a 9-1-1 dispatcher asked for his name, the truck driver responded “Nate Veltman.” In the call with the dispatcher, Veltman said “It was me, it was me that did it. Come arrest me,” and when asked if he was injured replied, “No, I did it on purpose.”
Minutes later, London police arrived on scene, Veltman exited the truck, put his hands on his head and got to his knees to be arrested by two officers.
Surveillance video depicts the arrest of Nathaniel Veltman at a northwest London, Ont. shopping mall parking lot on June 6, 2021. (Source: Superior Court of Justice)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Testimony continued on Sept. 13 in which witness Lindsay Marshall told the jury she heard “an engine rev,” drive through the intersection at Hyde Park Road, go up onto the sidewalk and drive into either a “mailbox or a sign.”
It wasn’t until an officer arrived on scene Marshall realized it was a person she saw thrown 30 to 40 feet in the air.
In the days after, the jury watched four hours of surveillance video of Veltman’s movements inside the headquarters of the London Police Service following his arrest. In the video, Veltman was seen wearing a white t-shirt with a cross on it, pants no shoes on, and was not handcuffed.
An officer described him as “cooperative” during his arrest.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
On Sept. 14, the jury was shown nearby surveillance video that depicted the moments leading up to the crash. The video depicts the Afzaal family walking near the intersection of Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road on June 6, 2021.
A black pickup truck is seen travelling north on Hyde Park Road while the family of five stand near the intersection. The court has previously heard that the pickup truck then made a U-turn and seconds later, the truck was seen speeding southbound in the direction of the family.
The video was edited by the court to stop before the moment of impact.
Video from the Superior Court of Justice depicts the moments before the Afzaal family was struck by a black pickup truck in London, Ont. on June 6, 2021. (Source: Superior Court of Justice)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
In the final day of week two, the jury watched surveillance videos of Veltman’s interview with police after the attack.
Veltman told police he became interested in politics during the 2016 U.S. presidential election and told police, “That’s the moment I discovered the media was dishonest...I went right down the rabbit hole.” He later said he felt like he was in jail and going insane during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The jury heard Veltman tell police he did not regret doing what he did and claimed it was revenge for crimes he believed were committed by Muslims. He acknowledged that he killed four members of the Afzaal family by crashing into them, and knew they were Muslim based on the clothes they were wearing.
“I decided this is it, I’m going to commit a terrorist attack...I wanted to give Muslims a taste of their own medicine,” he told police.
— With files from CTV News London’s Nick Paparella and CTV News Windsor’s Michelle Maluske
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
Trucker's body found in trailer in Newfoundland after failed police search in Ontario
Ontario Provincial Police are facing tough questions about their search for a missing Newfoundland trucker whose rig was found two weeks ago in Ontario, then sent back to Newfoundland, where his body was found Monday in the trailer.
An apartment block collapses in a Russian border city after heavy shelling, injuring over a dozen
An apartment block partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday, leaving at least 19 injured. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were also likely deaths.
German men with the strongest fingers compete in Bavaria's 'Fingerhakeln' wrestling championship
Despite the threat of dislocated fingers and strained muscles, over 150 Bavarian men came together Sunday to compete in Germany’s unique national championship of “Fingerhakeln,” or finger wrestling.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.