Elderly couple attacked on Rosser Avenue

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This article was published 17/01/2025 (244 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Anita Labonte was sitting at her desk at Huddle Brandon on the corner of Rosser Avenue at Seventh Street just before one on Wednesday afternoon, when she saw a man covered in blood walk by. He was carrying a bat.

“That’s the reason I noticed him, because the back of his sweat pants were soaked in blood. It was extreme, and I said to my co-worker that I thought he was injured or something,” said Labonte.

She told the Sun she couldn’t believe what she saw next.

“He crossed the street, and he approached a gentleman and an older woman. They were having almost a confrontation, and it looked to be aggressive,” said Labonte.

“And that’s when he swung and hit the guy in the face. The guy fell back and hit the brick wall in front of the library sign,” Labonte said.

By then, Labonte’s co-worker was already on the phone calling police.

“It was pretty intense,” said Labonte, because the man who was hit stumbled away. She was now worried about the woman who was facing the man with the bat.

“The guy with the bat was having an argument with the lady, and she was trying to talk him out of doing whatever. It looked like he was going to hit her and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I hope he doesn’t hit her.’”

“Luckily, I don’t know what she said to him, or if he just snapped out of something, but he didn’t hit her. And that’s when he took off up Seventh Street towards the Y,” Labonte said.

Brandon police officers raced to the downtown and found the victim, who they said is 67. He was rushed to the Brandon Regional Health Centre and required stitches.

“The victim did not know the accused, nor was there any conflict that led to the assault,” stated a Brandon Police Service media release.

Officers found the 43-year-old suspect on the 800 block of Rosser Avenue. He had injuries of his own, “from an unknown source, and he would not co-operate with police,” the release stated.

He was charged with assault with a weapon, taken to the hospital for medical treatment and held in custody for a future day in court.

The day after witnessing the attack, Labonte said she’s “OK,” but was still concerned about the man and the woman who were involved in the incident.

She’s also worried about the youth who come to Huddle Brandon, which is a central hub for youth in need. Labonte is a peer supporter and she and other staff help young people access various services, such as mental health support, addiction counselling and career guidance.

“It’s kind of scary; we have youth coming and going. We want to make sure that they’re protected,” she said.

“So, we keep our door locked, it’s a little bit eye opening to see it right in front of you, but it’s happening. People can’t even walk down the street now.”

Labonte said she wondered if the man with the bat was wearing his sweatpants backwards. “So that people wouldn’t see the blood when he was walking towards them.”

“But still, it was the way he was presenting himself that said danger, stay away from this person.”

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

» X: @enviromichele