A brutal brawl erupted on a Brampton street corner late on Halloween night, leaving three tow truck operators injured and sparking a police investigation that culminated in five arrests.
Officers responding to the scene near Kennedy Road South and Orenda Road discovered a chaotic aftermath: victims attacked with a metal pole, two of them also suffering the burning agony of bear spray. Immediate medical attention was required for the most severely injured.
The violence wasn’t a random act. It was the latest flare-up in a simmering dispute within the competitive world of towing, a conflict that has increasingly turned dangerous.
Rishav Chopra, 27, faces the most serious charges, including assault causing bodily harm, administering a noxious substance, uttering threats, and possession of a weapon. He allegedly wielded more than just fists in the confrontation.
Jashandeep Singh, 34, is accused of multiple counts of assault with a weapon, alongside menacing threats. Harmandeep Singh, 27, and Tajinder Chopra, 20, each face assault charges, while Varun Aul, 32, is also implicated in the attack.
This incident isn’t isolated. It echoes a disturbing trend revealed by law enforcement in nearby Toronto, where a dedicated team – Project Dodger – was launched last year to combat escalating violence within the towing industry.
Toronto police investigations revealed a shocking statistic: a full 70% of the city’s shootings were connected to ruthless turf wars between rival towing companies. The fight for control is proving deadly.
Project Dodger followed on the heels of Project Beacon, a prior investigation that resulted in 184 charges against six individuals linked to a murder and a string of thirteen shootings – all stemming from the same cutthroat competition.
The escalating violence suggests a desperate struggle for dominance, where disagreements are no longer settled with words, but with weapons and brutal force. The streets are becoming battlegrounds for these businesses.
Investigators continue to seek information about the Brampton incident, hoping to unravel the full extent of the dispute and prevent further bloodshed. The industry’s internal conflicts are spilling onto public streets.
