OP-ED: The right of self-defence
Retired career police officer and Juno News host Ron Chhinzer on the case of a man charged for defending himself against a home invader
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What’s “reasonable” when you’re half asleep at 3 AM staring at a wanted man with a weapon in your living room?
Just after 3 AM on August 18th in Lindsay, Ontario, Jeremy David McDonald, 44, woke up to find someone inside his apartment. The intruder was 41-year-old Michael Kyle Breen. He already had a criminal record, was wanted by police at the time, and he had a weapon on him when he broke in.
McDonald grabbed a knife to defend himself. A fight broke out, Breen was badly hurt, and had to be flown to a Toronto trauma hospital.
Here’s the part that has made Canadians furious: McDonald, the guy who woke up to an armed criminal in his home, is the one now charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.
Breen, the repeat offender, is also facing new charges including break and enter, weapon possession, theft, mischief, and breaching probation.
But the public sees this and asks: how does a victim end up treated like the criminal?
Under Canada’s Criminal Code, sections 34 and 35, you are allowed to defend yourself and your property if you believe you’re under threat. But there’s a catch, the law says the force you use has to be “reasonable in the circumstances.”
That wording leaves a lot of grey area.
To be fair, this isn’t on the police. They don’t make the laws, they just enforce them. They had to work with the evidence and the Criminal Code as it’s written. Now they’re stuck in the middle of a PR storm while the Liberal government stays quiet, avoiding the attention they deserve for creating this mess.
The irony is rich, they love to talk about tackling “root causes,” but when they are the root cause, their strategy is to go silent and wait for the next tragedy to distract people.
This is where ten years of Liberal leadership has brought us. Violent crime has climbed, gangs and organized crime are stronger, shootings are more common, and repeat violent offenders are let out over and over again. Ordinary Canadians are left wondering if they’ll be the ones charged for protecting themselves, while criminals keep cycling through the system.
Pierre Poilievre said “if someone breaks in, you deserve the right to defend your loved ones and your property - full stop.”
Doug Ford said it clearly, “something is broken.”
Danielle Smith said it’s basic and straightforward.
They’re all echoing what Canadians already feel, the system doesn’t have their back anymore.
No one is asking for a free pass to kill. People just want the rules to be clear. If someone breaks into your home armed and dangerous, you shouldn’t have to think twice about whether defending yourself will land you in court.
The Liberal government’s policies and silence have put Canadians in this position. It is critical to fix the laws, put the focus back on victims and families, and finally put an end to a system that protects repeat criminals more than the people they target.
Every Friday, retired career police officer Ron Chhinzer hosts ‘The Crime Report,’ where he takes viewers through some of the most shocking stories from coast to coast. Watch for the latest episode later today where Ron breaks down how the Liberals broke the bail system.
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To an extent, this IS on the police. They could have declined to charge the man with assault as he was defending himself. They chose the easy way, which is let the courts decide. Problem is that will cost the victim a ton of money and time. He should not have to go through this.
The largest threat to law abiding, tax paying Canadian citizens? The Liberal Party of Canada.