Admittedly this is only one side of the story, but perhaps it will make readers as uncomfortable as it did me.An Ottawa taxi driver, Sami Aldobani, is nursing a broken wrist, broken fingers and other injuries after being attacked by a thug in an apparent fit of road rage.
The thug followed him down the Airport Parkway into the Airport Taxi parking lot. Both men exited their cars, and the thug shouted racist insults, then proceeded to beat the taxi driver savagely until fellow cabbies pulled him off and restrained him.
This is where it gets interesting. The thug hauled out a police ID and showed it to a witness, one of thirty or so who had gathered. Two police officers arrived a few minutes later, he showed them his ID, and the two officers then told the gathering crowd to back off.
The police officers then got into the back seat of the thug's grey Nissan Xterra SUV and the thug drove away with them. Four other officers arrived, and one drove the officers' patrol car away.
The cabbie spent the night in hospital. The cops say that they are holding no one in custody at present, but are "investigating."
More of the culture of cop impunity? You decide.
UPDATE: Local CBC news is reporting that the assailant was indeed a police officer. He remains on active duty while the alleged "investigation" continues. A police spokesperson said the latter "may take some time." Anyone seen this movie before?
