Toronto Police say Chris Skinner was attempting to hail a cab in the minutes before the fatal Oct 18 attack against him.
Read how this story developed here.
Police released more CCTV video today. Check it out.
Here's what you're seeing:
This image of Skinner captured by a Toronto Police CCTV camera at 2:34 am — about 25 to 30 minutes before he was killed — at the corner of Adelaide and Duncan Sts. Police say Skinner was attempting to hail a cab. Another photo shows Skinner still waiting in the same place four minutes later.
Skinner can been seen to the left above walking east on Adelaide St west of Bay St, captured by a private surveillance system at 2:56 am. Police say he was looking at a cell phone or Ipod as he walked.
Police say Skinner can be seen in the middle of this image at 3 am, seconds before the attack. He is standing in the curb lane on the south side of Adelaide St just east of Yonge. To the left of Skinner is the SUV alleged to have run him down. Police say Skinner may have come in contact with the SUV as it sped past. They say the autuopsy showed bruising on his hands. After the SUV passes, Skinner pauses for a moment, then walks west on Adeliade until he disappears out of frame. Seconds later, traffic is seen backing up. Police say witnesses tell them the SUV pulled over, at least two men got out. That's when, police say, the attack against Skinner began.
“What we believe happened is that when Mr Skinner was walking up on the sidewalk and approaching the vehicle or approaching Victoria St where the vehicle happened to be stopped mostly likely for a red light," Toronto Police det Stacey Gallant said at an Oct 24 press conference. "The occupants got out of the car and, whether they were checking to see if there was damage on the vehicle or directly engaging Mr Skinner, we’re not sure at this point. The assault took place near the SUV. Mr Skinner was knocked to the ground directly in front of the SUV on the roadway. The occupants got back into the SUV when Mr Skinner was lying on the ground and the driver of the SUV engaged the transmission and drove right over top of him.”
Police say the attack happened very quickly, probably less than 30 seconds from start to finish. Gallant says police and ambulance were on scene within three minutes.
Gallant says the driver of the SUV is described as male with light skin, under 30 years old. Eyewitnesses say he was wearing a black tight tank top, jeans and perhaps boots with laces on them.
Police are calling for all witnesses to come forward.
"Several vehicles stopped behind the suspect vehicle," says Gallant. "We believe that those vehicles and the people in them were in a position to have seen the altercation taking place and those people are ones we want to hear from."
A vigil for Skinner is scheduled for 8pm Sunday at the corner of Church and Wellesley in Toronto.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Stacy Gallant at 416−808−7410 and Detective Doug Dunstan at 416−808−7406, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416−222−8477 or online at www.222tips.com. And Xtra here.
