Arrest video of man accused in attack on Muslim family in London, Ont., played at murder trial

Warning: This story contains distressing details.

As ambulances and police cruisers race toward the area where five Muslim family members were hit by a pickup truck, the accused is seen surrendering in a nearby parking lot, his black Dodge Ram — its front end crumpled — that was eventually taped off by officers. 

This surveillance video footage was captured June 6, 2021, outside Cherryhill Village Mall in London on the night five Afzaal family members were struck. It was played Tuesday on the second day of the trial of Nathaniel Veltman in Ontario Superior Court in Windsor.

The video footage was introduced by Viktor Poc, a civilian forensic analyst with London police. Poc also gave details about what's being seen in the video, while responding to questions from the Crown.

Veltman, 22, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder as well as associated terror charges.

Yumnah Afzaal, 15, her parents Madiha Salman, 44, and Salman Afzaal, 46, and family matriarch Talat Afzaal, 74, were killed. A young boy, nine years old at the time, survived. 

In the video, which has no sound, a black pickup truck with a heavily damaged front end turns into the mall's parking lot at 8:44 p.m. ET and drives toward a lone Yellow Taxi parked in the middle of the lot. 

The video also shows the cabbie and driver of the pickup speaking. The cab driver appears to make a phone call and, two minutes later, the accused gets out of the truck, gets down on his knees and puts his arms on his head. 

Moments later, he lies down on the ground as officers approach him and more cruisers pull in. On busy Oxford Street shown in the background, multiple emergency crews with lights on are seen racing westbound toward the crash site as more cruisers pull into the mall's parking lot. 

The black truck and cab are taped off by police officers and the accused is taken away in a cruiser at 8:58 p.m. 

Crown prosecutors allege the accused was a white nationalist who set out to kill Muslims with his truck. 

On Monday, the jury heard opening statements as well as some facts that prosecutors and defence lawyers agree on, including the defendant was driving north on Hyde Park Road that night when he saw the Afzaals and performed a U-turn toward South Carriage Road, then steered the truck over the curb and struck the family. 

Data from the truck shows he veered toward the family before impact and his gas pedal was 100 per cent compressed five seconds before impact. His brake pedal never depressed, the defence and Crown agree. 

They've also agreed that the accused drove erratically along Hyde Park Road, running several lights, before turning east onto Oxford Street.