Ontario Premier Doug Ford is speaking out about the assault of an Air Cadets supervisor in Hamilton earlier this month, calling it “the most disgusting thing you could ever do.” The 59-year-old Canadian Armed Forces member, identified by family as Kenneth Kunkel, was supervising the distribution of poppies on Nov. 1 when two youths allegedly approached his cadets in front of a restaurant at The Centre on Barton and “blew a loud air horn” into their ears. Kunkel followed the suspects into the restaurant and confronted them, at which point he was allegedly assaulted by a woman who was not involved in the initial altercation. A male youth then allegedly struck the man multiple times before fleeing the scene. Kunkel sustained life-altering injuries in the attack and his son told CTV News last week that he has not regained the ability to walk. Asked about the incident during a news conference in Peterborough, Ont. on Monday, Ford said that the parents of the youth now facing charges in the incident “should be ashamed.” “I hope the parents are listening. You should give your kids a little ass whooping in the woodshed as far as I am concerned,” Ford said. “A kid beating up cadets that are trying to serve our country? It is the most disgusting thing you could ever do.” The 12-year-old youth was charged with assault following the incident while a 48-year-old woman was charged with aggravated assault. Police have not identified that woman. Speaking with reporters, Ford called the alleged behaviour “absolutely disgusting.” “Where are the parents?” Ford asked. In a statement last week, Kunkel’s son Christopher said that his understanding is that his father was trying to de-escalate the situation when he was attacked. He said that the cadets “deserved to be safe and so did the person responsible for their wellbeing.” The attack on Kunkel has drawn widespread condemnation, with federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath among those who have spoken out previously.
