On June 5th, David Gomez and a friend were enjoying an evening out in Toronto when they were approached by a group of men who then viciously attacked Mr. Gomez, a gay man, leaving him unconscious, and requiring surgery to repair some of his injuries.

At the time, friends and witnesses took to social media to try to identify the assailants responsible for the assault. Ottawa Redblacks DE Chris Larsen was one of the men identified, and subsequently investigated by the Toronto police and the league – ending with both the CFL and the Redblacks issuing statements and Larsen being suspended.

According to a report on Wednesday by the Toronto Sun, the local police have cleared Mr. Larsen of any wrongdoing in the assault. Within hours of the attack, Larsen was identified -mostly via social media – as the potential perpetrator. But Larsen’s attorney, Calvin Barry, says the Redblacks DE was not involved.

“They interviewed him and came back today and said he is no longer a suspect. At most, he might be a witness. He’s just happy that he has cleared his name on all fronts.”

Larsen’s attorney Calvin Barry.

This would suggest his status with the league and the team could change, but Redblacks spokesperson Chris Hofley said nothing has officially happened at this time.

His lawyer said that Larsen was at Hanlan’s Point that evening to celebrate the birthday of a friend who is a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community.

The police are still searching for the men responsible for this homophobic attack – which is being investigated as a hate crime.

If you have any information about what happened on the night of June 5th, contact the Toronto police.