Man charged with assaulting Vernon anti-vaxx counter protester

A man in his early 50s has been charged with assaulting a COVID-19 counter-protester in Vernon.

Kelsey Tomas Mitchell Moffatt, born 1970, has been charged with assault causing bodily harm for an alleged attack on COVID-19 counter-protester Korry Zepik.

The alleged attack took place Oct. 1, 2022, at the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 6 next to Polson Park where weekly anti-vax rallies take place.

"We can't let people think they can get away with doing violent acts and not face repercussions," Zepik told iNFOnews.ca.

Zepik had been a weekly feature among the protesters doing his own counter-protest at Polson Park each Saturday.

He would often hold signs saying "COVID is not a plot" and "This rally lacks logic."

On Oct. 1, 2022, Zepik said a man with a can of spray paint defaced his signs.

Zepik attempted to stop him and was "met with a lot of violence."

"He slammed one side of my head on the pavement and proceeded to hit me on the other side of my head," Zepik said.

Even after the alleged assault, Zepik continued to counter-protest for several weeks, although says he often stood on the other side of the road from the protesters. He said there was an RCMP presence following the incident.

Zepik previously told iNFOnews.ca he had received "light pushes" towards the street from protesters. Someone once told him they knew where he lived.

"The tone and everything about it was a threat," he said.

Moffatt is next due in court Feb. 8.

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