Judge finds TTC stabbing self-defence, acquits man charged in 2024 Jane station death

A man accused of second-degree murder in a stabbing death at Jane subway station two years ago was found not guilty Wednesday by Ontario Superior Court Justice Jennifer K. Penman.

Matthew Rumble, 39, was stabbed in the chest in June 2024 at Jane subway station. Tefai Opoku-Boadu, 22 at the time of arrest, was charged with second-degree murder after police arrested him in July 2024. The Crown argued he initiated hostilities with Rumble and intended to kill him. Opoku-Boadu claimed self-defence.

According to Justice Penman's decision, the two men first crossed paths on a TTC bus headed to the subway station after Opoku-Boadu sprayed himself and the air around him with perfume or cologne. An "exchange of words" followed. When they got off the bus at Jane station, a fight broke out between them. Less than a minute later, Rumble fell to the ground after being stabbed. Opoku-Boadu ran from the scene, discarding the knife in a nearby parking lot and changing his clothing.

The critical question was who owned the knife. The Crown argued Opoku-Boadu brought it; Opoku-Boadu argued Rumble brought it and he gained control of it during the fight before using it to defend himself. After weighing eyewitness testimony and video surveillance, Penman concluded it was more likely Rumble brought the knife. She also found that Rumble got off the bus first and "aggressively circled" Opoku-Boadu when he exited, striking him in the face with his elbow before any force was used by Opoku-Boadu.

The judge acknowledged that Opoku-Boadu's behaviour on the TTC bus was "offensive, inappropriate conduct" that started the altercation, and that he was "panicked" afterward and breaching a conditional sentence order by being out of his residence. However, Penman ruled the Crown failed to disprove self-defence beyond a reasonable doubt.