P.E.I. man charged with assaulting housing minister has court matter stayed
A Charlottetown man has had his assault charge against P.E.I. Housing Minister Rob Lantz stayed in court.
The accused – Mark Anthony Brown, 63 – had the common assault charge previously diverted to the province's alternative measures program.
On April 15, Crown attorney John Diamond updated Judge Nancy Orr in provincial court in Charlottetown that Brown had successfully completed the program. As a result, Diamond stayed the assault charge and Brown avoided a criminal conviction. Brown appeared in court with his lawyer, Daniel Tweel.
The incident with Lantz occurred on July 19, 2023, at a public information session at the Confederation Centre of the Arts, according to information previously released by Charlottetown Police Services. The information session involved a proposed overdose prevention site on Park Street. At one point in the evening, video footage taken by members of the media shows Lantz listening to comments from a citizen and then being shoved by Brown.
Brown was arrested and charged with assault.
The alternative measures program diverts people from the criminal court system but still holds them accountable for a criminal code offence.
In general, the program may involve someone writing a letter of apology to the victim or performing community service. It wasn't specified in court what Brown was required to do to meet the requirements of the program and avoid a criminal record.
A few months later on Sept. 25, 2023, Charlottetown city council voted 7-3 against the proposed overdose prevention site.