Statement on False Reporting by Toronto Sun Regarding Alleged Assault Incident

Toronto, ON – April 8, 2025. — A recent article published by the Toronto Sun titled " Toronto man charged after parking enforcement officer assaulted " presents a highly misleading and inaccurate portrayal of events involving Daniel Walderman of Toronto, Ontario. The below article is written to clarify the facts and correct the public record.

No Assault Occurred – No Arrest Was Made

Contrary to what the article implies, Daniel Walderman was not arrested, nor was he charged with assault. On the evening of the alleged incident, Daniel Walderman received a call from a detective and voluntarily attended 32 Division to provide his side of the story. Upon arrival, he was issued a C32 conditional release notice, which is a verbal warning—not an assault charge. At no point did Daniel display any physical aggression.

The article’s suggestion that Daniel Walderman was involved in a physical altercation is entirely false and highly damaging.

Daniel Walderman

Misrepresentation of the Incident

The Toronto Sun alleges that Daniel “drove away and returned to confront the officer.” This is factually incorrect:

  • Daniel Walderman was not driving. His wife was behind the wheel, having briefly pulled over in front of Starbucks to pick Daniel up while he walked down from a nearby store.
  • The parking enforcement officer was standing directly in front of the vehicle, preventing Daniel’s wife from moving forward, and proceeded to issue her a ticket for “stopping in a live lane,” despite his own obstruction.
  • Daniel engaged the officer only to request his badge number, which is every citizen’s legal right.

Clarification Regarding Alleged Contact with Officer

Another significant inaccuracy is the claim that Daniel “struck the officer’s handheld device” and “swiped his hat.” Here are the facts:

  • When the officer refused to provide his badge number, Daniel Walderman took a photo of the badge number located on the officer’s hat.
  • In the process of lowering my phone after taking the photo, it briefly grazed the officer’s hat.
  • This minor contact was incidental and not aggressive in any way.
  • There was no physical altercation, and as such no photo evidence exists to support this version of events.

Irresponsible Reporting and Public Harm

The Toronto Sun’s decision to name Daniel Walderman publicly and inaccurately describe the situation not only misleads readers but potentially constitutes defamation. It paints a narrative that is not supported by the facts and may cause lasting damage to Daniel’s personal and professional reputation.

This article’s framing, tone, and content are deeply concerning. It reflects a clear lack of due diligence and journalistic responsibility.

Call for Responsible Journalism

While Daniel requested that the Toronto Sun issue an immediate correction and retract any misleading claims from their original article they refused to do so and only provided a small update saying all charges were dropped. This kind of journalism is irresponsible and defamatory with little recourse left to a member of the public.