A Hamilton man who was slapped with assault charges after he suffered a seizure and then was Tasered by police in October 2022 is extremely happy the Crown dropped the charges this week.

The incident involving Marcus Charles, however, has prompted calls for more training on handling people with medical issues.

Charles, 27, was charged with three counts of assault, with police saying he concussed an officer after paramedics called officers to the scene.

The Crown determined Charles’s actions were a result of “a significant epileptic seizure,” with no criminal intent.

“It’s probably the best feeling ever… I did a dance, that’s all I could say, I did a dance for sure,” Charles told CBC Hamilton on Wednesday.

Charles said the charges left him unable to sleep properly and feeling depressed, and it took a mental toll. He said he’s looking forward to the day when he can go back to what makes him happy — playing basketball.

“Just hearing the charge, like assault, it made me feel like something I’m not. As you can see, like, I’m smiling. I’m a happy person, a nice person, and they … painted a huge picture of me being a violent person,” Charles said during a Zoom video call.

“It could have just messed up my whole career if I didn’t have the right [legal team] … behind me, if I didn’t have all the people that were supporting me realizing that what they did was wrong.”

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CBC News
January 31, 2024