Ontario Premier Doug Ford told a Toronto audience that he personally confronted and threatened a suspected shoplifter at a Home Depot store over the summer, saying he took matters into his own hands when store security didn’t intervene.
Speaking at a fireside chat hosted by the Empire Club on Monday, Ford used the story to argue for tougher bail measures, claiming criminals have grown increasingly bold. He said he had ditched his police security detail to buy plants for his cottage ahead of a visit from Prime Minister Mark Carney when he saw the alleged theft unfold.
According to Ford, a man walked out of the store with two backpacks, followed by security guards who told him the man had stolen something but that they were instructed not to intervene. Ford said he then tracked the man down himself and demanded he open his bag.
When the man refused, Ford said he threatened to physically confront him. “I said, buddy, ‘I’m going to kick your ass all over the parking lot, show me what’s in your bag,’” Ford recounted.
The man eventually complied, revealing a saw blade that store staff said was stolen. Ford said he warned the man not to return. “Then I went on to tell him, if I ever see him in the parking lot, he’s going to get a beating like he’s never got before,” Ford said. “But that’s what you have to do.”
Ford’s blunt remarks drew attention for their unfiltered tone, underscoring his frequent tough-on-crime messaging and his push for stricter bail rules in Ontario.