CityNews Toronto Ombusman Assaulted

jeremycohn

Well-known member
"Silverman Helps: The Story Behind The Attack
Thursday February 8, 2007

It was the shot heard round the world, although Toronto viewers saw it first.

And now so have visitors to CityNews.ca and YouTube.

The attack on CityNews' Peter Silverman has become the talk of North America.

The 75-year-old ombudsman had just gone back to see an old nemesis thinking things were about to be smoothed over. But it didn't end up that way.

As Peter went into the store run by Adam Plimmer, the 33-year-old suddenly came out from his shop in a fit of anger. He took several swipes at Silverman, grabbing his papers, slapping at him, hitting him with his front door and throwing snowballs at the crew and a TTC employee who'd stopped to help.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hit you? Did I hit you?" he yelled. "Get outta here. All right?"

Peter immediately put his fists up, ready to defend himself if needed. It was a dramatic and tense scene that went on for several minutes.

Plimmer was incensed because the Silverman Helps team had repeatedly gone to his King St. West Opticians shop about complaints he was allegedly selling counterfeit versions of some famous trademarked glasses frames. There were also questions about the eye test he administered and allegations he hadn't lived up to promises that had been made to customers.

It all began when a woman named Diana Eromin contacted Peter about her experience at the store.

"I was ready to pick up my glasses and he was screaming, 'you don't get it!' He said, 'get the hell out before I kill you!' That was my last time with him alone."

Katherine Ng paid Plimmer nearly $700 for a pair of glasses which included a free eye test. When he couldn't get the prescription right she wanted to cancel the deal.

"He said no, if you don't get out of my store I'm going to call the cops," she recalls.

That was one of several instances that sent Peter to see the man at the eye of this eyeglass storm.

The angry response he received each time escalated the situation more and more.

"I don't have anything more to say to you," Plimmer noted on one occasion. "Deal with my lawyer!"

So you can imagine the Silverman Helps team's surprise when the optician called the office to offer a white flag of true.

"I've become a new man," he insisted. "I've witnessed the power of God and Mr. Silverman, I love you and you can come and talk to me."

Peter accepted the invitation hoping to get a refund for some viewers. But it quickly became apparent it wasn't genuine.

"You too!" Plimmer screamed at the TTC worker when the crew arrived around 4pm Wednesday. "You stand in front of my f***ing store. I don't care. Get out of my store!"

That attitude didn't sit well when police showed up. Plimmer promptly locked himself inside, while armed Emergency Task Force officers took up residence on the street.

Soon after, he came out and was led away in handcuffs, charged with assault and assault with a weapon. That 'weapon' was a broomstick.

He was released pending a court appearance on strict conditions. Among them: staying away from CityNews and Peter himself.

As for the tough-as-nails reporter who once served as a Captain in the British Para Engineers, he admits to being surprised by the encounter. But he emerged unscathed.

"I'm a hard person to hurt," he laughs."

From Citynews.ca - full story and video
 
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