Man acquitted of second-degree murder after cologne spray incident on TTC bus

Tefai Opoku-Boadu, a 24-year-old man from Kitchener, walked out of Toronto's Superior Court of Justice a free man Wednesday, having been found not guilty of second-degree murder. The acquittal marks the end of a lengthy legal journey that began over two years ago following a fatal stabbing on a TTC bus.

The incident involved 39-year-old Matthew Rumble, a father of seven, and Opoku-Boadu. The altercation reportedly escalated after Opoku-Boadu sprayed cologne on himself and into the air around him on the bus. Video surveillance presented during the seven-day judge-alone trial appeared to capture this sequence of events.

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I got acquitted. It’s been a long journey. You know I’m free now.

As the bus approached Jane Station, Rumble exited and then confronted Opoku-Boadu on the platform. A fight ensued, during which Rumble was stabbed in the chest and collapsed. Opoku-Boadu fled the scene, discarded the knife, and changed his clothes.

During the trial, the Crown argued that Opoku-Boadu unlawfully caused Rumble's death with the intent required for murder, suggesting Opoku-Boadu initiated the confrontation out of anger. However, Opoku-Boadu's defense team argued that Rumble was the aggressor, that Rumble brought the knife, and that Opoku-Boadu acted in self-defense. Justice Jennifer K. Penman ultimately found that the Crown had failed to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Opoku-Boadu was not acting in self-defense, leading to the acquittal.

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I was found not guilty of second-degree murder.