Doug Ford releases video of altercation in campaign office

Toronto,Doug Ford has released a security camera video that captured parts of the encounter between a visitor to the Ford campaign office and a volunteer who has since been charged with assault.
The incident happened on the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 3 when 43-year-old Paul Benoit, a self-described citizen journalist, entered the campaign office of mayoral candidate Rob Ford wearing a Rob Ford mask.
Benoit told CP24 Wednesday night that he was trying to film inside the office for his website when volunteers approached him “very forcefully” causing him to back out. As he exited, he was pushed and kicked and his camera was kicked out of his hands, he said, adding that both he and a volunteer threw punches during the incident.
Contrary to Benoit’s account, Doug Ford said Benoit kicked the 60-year-old volunteer and jumped on his back. He called the incident a “premeditated attack on our campaign,” and said he and his brother are “standing by” the volunteer.
In the security camera video, a man can be seen entering the campaign office at 3:21 p.m. wearing shorts, a black long-sleeved shirt, sunglasses and a bag over his shoulder. Two workers talk to him and the man leaves with some pamphlets in his hand at 3:22 p.m.
The visitor can then be seen pacing outside the front door two minutes later.
At 3:26 p.m., he comes back in, this time with a Rob Ford mask on his face. The volunteer and another staff member walk up to the visitor briskly. They exit and the volunteer can be seen pushing the visitor on the arm.
What exactly transpired after that is not in direct view of the camera, but shadows appearing to be that of the volunteer and the visitor show a man falling to the ground outside a window covered in “Ford for mayor” signs.
The man gets up and then both men can be seen throwing punches at each other outside the front door. At one point, the volunteer can be seen throwing a punch while the visitor’s back is turned to him.
The volunteer, William Byers, surrendered to police on Thursday and he was charged with assault, mischief and theft.
In a written statement, police said the two continued to fight until they were stopped by other people nearby, and that Byers left with Benoit’s microphone.
Both men sustained minor injuries, according to police.
Ford has indicated that the mayor’s lawyer, Dennis Morris, will be offering legal services to Byers.