Police in Sault Ste. Marie have charged a man in connection with a golf club attack that has been viewed millions of times around the world thanks to a viral video.
Court documents obtained by SooToday reveal that Joel Sandie — a former junior hockey player from the Sault who competed in the Ontario Hockey League during the early 1990s, prior to becoming a real estate agent based in London, Ont. — has been criminally charged with one count of assault with a weapon for his alleged role in the Sept. 2 attack, which took place at the Sault Ste. Marie Golf Club.
The charge was laid Sept. 18.
By court order, Sandie is not allowed to communicate directly or indirectly with two individuals.
None of the allegations have been tested in court and Sandie is considered innocent unless proven guilty. A voicemail message left for Sandie by SooToday on Tuesday has not been returned.
“I’ll f—ing kill you!” yells the assailant in the now-viral video, as he chases another player — golf club in hand — across a tee block. Unable to catch the sprinting golfer, the man in the clip swings his club at another person standing near an electric golf cart, striking his left arm.
Originally posted on Facebook, the five-second clip spawned hundreds of comments. It has since spread to other social media sites, including a popular Instagram page, ziregolf, that boasts 1.8-million followers.
On that page alone, the video has generated 3.6-million views and more than 5,500 comments so far.
Sandie played a total of four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), according to the Hockey Database website, suiting up for the Sudbury Wolves, London Knights and the now-defunct Cornwall Royals between 1990 and 1993.
The six-foot-three defenceman amassed more penalty minutes than points in the juniors, racking up 153 minutes in the box, 10 assists and a single goal during his time in the OHL. A couple of videos on YouTube show Sandie in the juniors, engaging in some rough stuff with opponents back in the day.
Sandie is currently listed as a sales representative for RE/MAX Advantage Realty Ltd. in the London, Ont. area, where he has sold real estate since 1999.
“Former London Knight and small business owner,” said a brief bio on the realtor.ca website. “Experienced in many facets of real estate. Condos, residential, commercial, retail, farms!”
Sandie is scheduled to make his first appearance in court Nov. 20.
