Man charged with assaulting teen in park pleads not guilty

A 40-year-old man charged in connection with an alleged racebased attack on a 15-year-old boy in a Saskatoon park has pleaded not guilty to assault.

In a widely shared Facebook post in May, Nelson Chen, the boy’s father, wrote that a man pushed his son off his bike and punched him after allegedly making racist accusations.

Chen shared a video of the incident, taken by his son.

On Thursday, Todd Weber, carrying a black folder, calmly addressed the judge as the not guilty plea was entered during his first appearance in Saskatoon provincial court. He is out of custody and said he will be self-representing for the time being.

Weber was arrested on May 28 after Chen shared a video on social media, showing a man attacking his son near Bishop James Mahoney field on May 22.

Chen wrote that the man was yelling racial slurs at his son as he biked past, blaming him for “spreading the (COVID -19) virus.”

“My son took a picture of him, and this person chased him, pushed him off his bike, punched him in his helmet and tackled him. My son was shaken but got away without apparent injuries,” Chen wrote.

He said his son is “forever grateful” for the outpouring of support and kindness that followed.

“Your kind words and actions mean the world to me during this stressful and confusing time. You all have helped myself, and my family cope with this frightening experience,” Chen wrote, quoting his son.

Weber’s next scheduled court appearance is for a case management hearing on Aug. 27.

My son took a picture of him, and this person chased him, pushed him off his bike, punched him in his helmet and tackled him.