A notorious 37-year-old anti-masker recently charged by Toronto police has been accused of threatening to kill Premier Doug Ford and other Canadian premiers amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to newly obtained court documents.
It was on May 12 when officers alleged the accused, Chris Saccoccia, called Rob Carbone, an aspiring politician who lists himself as leader of the Republican Party of Canada (which isn’t registered with Elections Canada), and threatened to kill him, Ford, and all of the country’s premiers.
A subsequent news release by Toronto police alleged the accused, who also goes by the name Chris Sky, threatened to shoot the people identified.
Additional details of the call to Carbone and the wording used weren’t contained in the court documents provided to Global News.
The police statement said the threats were reported to officers early on Wednesday and an investigation was launched. Later in the day, officers went to Saccoccia’s York Region home.
Investigators alleged he got into a vehicle and tried to drive away. As police attempted to block the vehicle, the statement said an officer got out of his vehicle and tried to approach the accused.
It was alleged Saccoccia reversed in his vehicle and drove at the officer, prompting him to jump out of the way, before speeding off.
After he was eventually arrested, Saccoccia was charged with three counts of uttering death threats, assaulting a peace officer and dangerous operation of a vehicle.
Saccoccia was discharged on Thursday on a $5,000 surety release order. As part of the conditions of his release, he was ordered to stay at his surety’s Markham home every night. He was also ordered not to contact or be within 500 metres of Ford or Carbone except during court appearance, to not have any weapons and to not operate a vehicle.
The allegations against Saccoccia haven’t been proven in court. He was scheduled to reappear in a Toronto court on July 8.
Global News contacted the lawyers representing Saccoccia Tuesday afternoon, but a representative declined to comment.
A spokesperson for Ford also declined to comment on the allegations, citing the ongoing court proceedings.
During the course of the pandemic, Saccoccia had previous encounters with law enforcement. He was charged after allegedly violating the Quarantine Act in October for attending a non-mask-wearing rally in Yonge-Dundas Square after breaking quarantine requirements following a trip abroad.
Saccoccia previously travelled across Canada in a so-called “Freedom Convoy” where he spoke against pandemic-related health restrictions and questioned COVID-19 vaccine safety.
— With files from Jessica Patton
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