‘Escalating violence’: Video captures vicious fight at popular Brampton plaza

Brampton MPs are meeting with Peel Region’s police chief and the city’s mayor to address what they are calling “escalating violence” in the city, including two startling incidents recently that have been caught on video.

The most recent incident caught on video appears to have occurred at College Plaza, near Sheridan College’s Brampton campus at the corner of McLaughlin Road South and Steeles Avenue West, on June 20.

It shows more than a dozen people throwing punches and kicking at each other, with at least one person being dragged with a group of people tugging at his shirt.

Peel police are aware of the video and are asking residents to come forward with more information.

Police say they have no information that would confirm a perception in the community that these are international students involved in these fights.

“Recently, several incidents of violence involving youth in Brampton have been reported, particularly in the areas of Shoppers World Plaza and Sheridan College. Videos of the incidents are widely being circulated on social media and our offices have received several calls and emails regarding the escalating violence and the safety in our community,” Brampton East MP Raj Grewal and Brampton West MP Kamal Khera said in a joint statement. “As elected Members of Parliament for Brampton, keeping our community safe is our number one priority. In the coming days, we will be meeting with the Mayor of Brampton, the Chief of Peel Regional Police, the new Progressive Conservative provincial administration, and Sheridan College to see how we can address, together, the root cause(s) of this surge in violence. We must work together at all levels of government and with our community to respond to this issue and to reassure all those in Brampton that we will join forces to prevent future violence.”

The infamous plaza near Sheridan College has been a talking point for months in Brampton, for all the wrong reasons, with incidents there and in other locations prompting a town hall on June 24 to discuss youth violence in the city.