Monday, November 02, 2026
Two Youths Charged Following Hate-Motivated Threats Involving Replica Firearm
Woodstock, ON – Two youths have been charged following an incident at Southside Park. A 14-year-old faces hate-motivated threats and weapons charges, and a 17-year-old is charged with assaulting a police officer.
On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at about 6 p.m., police received a report that a youth at the Southside Park had displayed what appeared to be a handgun to two other youths.
The investigation found that the young offender approached the two youths and started an argument. During the argument, the accused allegedly directed racial slurs at them, displayed what appeared to be a handgun and threatened to shoot them. The two youths left the area safely and reported the incident. No one was physically injured.
Officers responded to the park, located the 14-year-old and took the youth into custody. During the arrest, a second youth allegedly struck an officer and was also arrested. Officers seized a replica handgun and a folding pocketknife.
A 14-year-old youth has been charged with:
- Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose
- Hate Motivated – Uttering Threats (2 counts)
- Resisting a Peace Officer
A 17-year-old youth has been charged with:
• Assaulting a Peace Officer
Both youths were released on undertakings with conditions and are scheduled to appear in court at a later date.
A general provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) prohibits the release of the name of a young person. Therefore, the identities of the young persons charged in this investigation are protected.
Police take all reports of hate-motivated crime seriously. Replica and airsoft firearms can be impossible to tell apart from real firearms, and officers and the public must treat them as real until proven otherwise.
The Woodstock Police Service would like to encourage anyone with information about these investigations to contact the Woodstock Police Service at 519-537-2323.