Vale Inco employee assaulted while jogging

A Greater Sudbury resident and Vale Inco employee is recovering from cuts and bruises after being assaulted by three men while jogging on his day off, Jan. 19.

The man was jogging on Southview Drive when a pickup truck stopped nearby. When the jogger reached the truck, three men got out and confronted the jogger, according to an e-mail sent to Vale Inco employees by Steve Ball, Manager of Corporate Affairs.

Ball provided the e-mail to NorthernLife.ca after it was leaked to other media sources.

According to Greater Sudbury Police, one man acted as the aggressor, punching and kicking the jogger, while the other two men encouraged him.

"Investigators do not believe (the attack) to be a random act, and believe the victim was targeted," a release from the police said. They would not comment on the specifics of the incident.

In his e-mail, Ball condemned the attack.

"This is a cowardly, senseless and unprovoked attack," he wrote. "Clearly, some people still believe this is a bygone era when thuggery, violence and intimidation prevail in a strike environment, and which we all know has absolutely no place in society today."

Ball would not confirm in what capacity the worker is employed at Vale Inco.

The man who allegedly assaulted the Vale Inco employee was arrested within two hours of the event, and was scheduled for bail court on Jan. 21 to answer to charges of assault and criminal harassment.

The other two men were arrested on Jan. 20, and are scheduled to appear in bail court to answer to charges of criminal harassment on Jan. 22.