YouTuber remains positive following attack
A popular St. Catharines YouTuber said he won’t stop filming in public after he was attacked while livestreaming in Montebello Park on Wednedsday.
Mike Hatcher, known as the Magic Historian on YouTube, was filming himself using a phone attached to a selfie stick when two passersby appeared in the background of his livestream video. The pair, a male and female, began to take issue with the camera and said they did not want to be filmed.
At this point, Hatcher turned away from the camera to address them. He assured them he was filming himself and they were not the focus of the video.
“I’m also annoyed at that point, so the annoyance is coming through in my tone,” Hatcher later recalls of the incident.
He then looked back at the camera, turning his back to the pair, and continued talking into the livestream. The male passerby than walked up behind Hatcher and kicked him in the head, saying something about Hatcher “mouthing off to his woman.”
Following the attack, Hatcher immediately ran and found police officers and filed a report.
In an email, Niagara Regional Police Const. Phil Gavin said officers were flagged down at about 12:10 p.m. Because the altercation was caught on camera, the officers were able to broadcast a description to all the area patrol units.
The suspect was located at about 12:50 p.m. in the area of Lake Street and Welland Avenue, Gavin said. Upon being informed of his arrest, the suspect broke away from the officer but was pursued and caught as he attempted to jump a fence.
Colin Laws, 42, of no fixed abode, is charged with assault, resist arrest, and fail to comply with probation.
Hatcher, who regularly films himself in public, said he’s never experienced harassment to
this degree. At times, passersby will request not to be filmed or will “curse him out” if they’re aggravated, but the disputes usually end there.
“This never happens,” he said. “Obviously, it was completely unwarranted.”
He also said he tries to be respectful of other people while filming in public by keeping the camera on his face and minimizing background when possible.
“I don’t go around recording people,” Hatcher said. “I’m just trying to enjoy myself with my audience, not cause any disturbance for anybody in public and I want to respect the public’s space while also enjoying it.”
Since the attack, Thatcher said the support he’s received has been “staggering.”
However, he’s still unsure how the attack will affect his health. He requires an X-ray on his spine to see if there’s a fracture and was told a concussion may develop.
“At this point, I seem to be all right, but I don’t know 100 per cent.”
He also said he understands if people find the video comical.
“There’s a degree of humour in watching someone getting booted in the head like that.”