A video circulating on Reddit appears to show a man spitting on Liberal MP and former Justice Minister Marco Mendicino as the MP reached over to shake the man’s hand.
The interaction occurred on Sparks Street in Ottawa this Wednesday and shows the man in the red hat leaning toward Mendicino and seemingly spitting at him.
“That doesn’t seem very nice,” Mendicino said after wincing from the attack.
A police officer then approached the man and asked, “Why are you spitting on our MPs?”
The man immediately began to apologize.
“I didn’t mean to,” he said. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to.”
The police officer then told the man to apologize to Mendicino for the act.
“I’m frustrated because I’m just very upset,” he told the MP.
“I get it,” Mendicino said.
The man acknowledged that Mendicino had extended his hand for a handshake before the man spat at him.
“Yeah, I apologize…I’m sorry,” he said before hastily walking away.
According to a CityNews report on the incident, Mendicino’s office said it is being investigated and would not comment. However, the Ottawa police said they had not received any calls to service from the area this week.