Toronto man says he was randomly punched in the face, minutes after the same man allegedly hit someone else

The aftermath of an alleged random attack in downtown Toronto during the lunch hour on March 10. (Supplied)

A Toronto man is warning others to be on the lookout after he said that he was punched in the face by a stranger while walking to lunch in the city’s downtown core this week.

Artem had just left his office, located near Union Station, and was making his way to grab a bite at the Eaton Centre with a friend on the afternoon of March 10 when, suddenly, he said he was punched in the face by a complete stranger.

“I was not looking (at) him,” Artem, who CTV News Toronto agreed to identify by first name only due to safety concerns, said in an interview.

He says his gaze was turned on his friend at the time, as they were chatting while crossing northbound on Wellington Street near Yonge Street. Artem recounted how the punch was so strong that he was knocked out for a few seconds, with him becoming aware of the situation as he watched his attacker walk away.

“This guy continues to walk, very fast. I was turning and I already could not see him,” Artem said. “He didn’t stop. He just gave me a blow and like almost (ran).”

There was a group of people nearby that flagged a police cruiser, Artem said. When officers arrived, Artem said he was told another similar incident had occurred minutes before.

“They started to assess me and the police guys, they had a radio—like their internal radio on—and basically they told that in like another minute, it was another incident on the following intersection,” Artem said.

Police confirmed to CTV News Toronto their dispatcher responded to two incidents at around the same time on March 10. Before Artem’s attack, Toronto police say they were called to the area of Bay and Front streets for a male suspect who had “randomly” hit someone at 11:57 a.m. on Tuesday.

“On March 10^th at a similar time, police were waved down at Yonge and Wellington by an adult male who had been hit by the same male suspect,” Amy Davey, a media relations officer for the Toronto Police Service, said in an email.

Artem said he could not get a good look at the suspect’s face, but said he is about five-foot-nine, had light or blonde hair, a medium build, and was wearing a blue coat at the time. Police said no arrest has been made in this investigation, adding there is no suspect description available for release.

Paramedics took Artem to St. Michael’s Hospital to get assessed for the large cut right under his left brow, and he said he got stitches for it. In a photograph shared with CTV News Toronto, black stitches can still be seen under Artem’s brow, with red and deep purplish bruising underneath.

The incident has caused Artem distress, as he says he feels like he can’t leisurely walk downtown.

“If I was looking around maybe I was able to escape it, and if I was not, like, so relaxed,” Artem said.

Artem wanted to share his story to spread awareness, so that others who work in the area can be on the lookout or stay on high alert.

“It’s not even a sketchy area. You do not expect stuff like this,” he said.