WARMINGTON: Premier backs people's right to use force to protect their property
Doug Ford said he will find the name of an accused who fired warning shots to stop carjackers and hold a fundraiser for his legal fees
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A Vaughan man accused of scaring off carjackers from stealing his Lamborghini by firing a warning shot has some new fire power in his arsenal.
The premier of Ontario.
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WARMINGTON: Premier backs people's right to use force to protect their property Back to video
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It’s not every day a guy up on charges for improper firing of a gun gets the backing of Ontario’s top lawmaker. In fact, Doug Ford says the 35-year-old man who is facing criminal charges deserves a “medal” for protecting his property.
“Did you hear about the guy? These thugs that came up, ready to steal his car? They’re all their masked and everything,” Ford told reporters Monday. “So, I guess he’s a hunter or something and he shot up in the air. I don’t recommend that by the way. But he gets charged. I’ve got to find out this guy’s name and number, and I’m going to hold a fundraiser for lawyer fees for him.”
York Regional Police, who made the arrest, named the people charged in the alleged carjacking but not the victim. Nor have they indicated the type of gun that was allegedly fired.
Ford was making the point “if someone breaks in your house” and “they’re coming after your kids and they’re coming after your spouse; you’re going to fight like you’ve never fought before. You’re going to use anything that you have — baseball bat, knives” because “you’re protecting your family.”
Ford definitely sounded a lot more like legendary Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis than he did a politician in hug-a-thug Canada.
Four young men, including two young offenders, were charged after carjackers allegedly tried to steal Ford’s Cadillac Escalade from his driveway.
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He wasn’t sure if the vehicle was his or his late brother, Rob’s — or if it was going to be both? Either way, Toronto Police officers intervened to stop the alleged carjacking.
Ford has been very vocal in recent days – even tweeting over the weekend that he found it “disgusting” that six of nine people charged in a Peel Regional Police operation were released on bail. On Monday, he complained to reporters that “weak-kneed judges” and Justices of the Peace are part of a “broken” system.
The premier, who has a home in Florida and ran businesses in Chicago and New Jersey for 20 years before going into politics, made the point he has an affection for American-style justice. He feels things in Ontario should be “like down in the U.S., we should have the castle law.”
If Ford was only premier! All kidding aside, this is classic Ford Nation politics and closer to the Ford populist brand he and his kid brother — a controversial former Toronto mayor who died of cancer in March 2016 — always espoused. In this case, many agree with him.
It’s Doug being the real Doug. And it’s why so many people love the three-times elected premier. He even made the joke that the guys who tried to allegedly steal his vehicle were fortunate he didn’t catch them.
“I’ll take care of you better than the police,” he said. “Thank God, the police got you and I never did.”
Ford did say he understands victims like the Vaughan man don’t have his 24-hour security and gets why they want to be armed to protect themselves.
“I’m sick and tired of the weak justice system that we have,” said Ford.
He’s not alone.
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