By Alex McCuaig

'Gas war' in recent months

Walsh gas station owner facing assault charges

Aug 12, 2020 | 12:12 PM

WALSH, AB – What started as a price war between two neighbouring gas stations in Walsh has turned into a violent confrontation with one owner left physically battered and bruised and the other facing criminal charges.

In weekend security footage from Trailside Tempo, Anwar Kamaran, who owns Save On Gas, can be seen getting out of his vehicle, entering the Tempo store and pummelling store owner Geoff Shoesmith into unconsciousness.

Shoesmith says Kamaran, the Cypress-Medicine Hat Liberal Party candidate in 2019, has been the driver of an escalating feud between the two gas station owners.

Shoesmith says a verbal altercation between his wife and Kamaran on Saturday resulted in the initial charge of common assault.

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Mounties charged Kamaran at his station early on Sunday evening, stopping by the Tempo station to inform the family of the conditions that he was not to have contact with them as part of an undertaking that kept him out of custody, said Shoesmith.

But minutes after the Mountie left the attack on Shoesmith was recorded, as can be seen in the security footage provided to CHAT News.

Shoesmith says that followed an altercation between his son and Kamaran.

That altercation left the son with a black eye.

This wasn’t the only incident between the two owners.

In March, Kamaran was charged with trying to have another man assault members of the Shoesmith family as well as uttering threats against them.

Kamaran was held in custody since his arrest on Aug. 9 and appeared in Medicine Hat Provincial Court on Aug. 12. He was released on several conditions including no contact with the victims and not to attend the Village of Walsh except under court-ordered circumstances.

But Shoesmith says he now feels let down by the justice system and isn’t confident Kamaran will abide by his release conditions.

“He assaulted someone, he’s been arrested, then he breached his conditions and assaulted two more people and now he is released again? Where is the sense in that – COVID or not,” said Shoesmith.

Kamaran is charged with one count of assault, two counts of assault causing bodily harm, and three counts of failing to comply with an undertaking condition.

His next appearance is set for Sept. 16 in Medicine Hat.

Walsh is located about 60 kilometres east of Medicine Hat on Highway 1.