You’ve probably seen the grainy cell phone footage. A man in his late 60s, calm but terrifyingly intense, walks up to a car with a retractable baton. He doesn't scream. He just delivers a cold ultimatum. Then, Dennis Tissington breaks window glass—not once, but twice—while the driver, Damian Dallyn, sits inside recording the whole thing.
It’s one of those "instant justice" or "neighbor from hell" videos that refuses to die on the internet. Even years later, it pops up on Reddit and YouTube, fueling debates about property rights, self-defense, and how quickly a civil dispute can turn into a criminal charge.
But what actually happened? Was it just a random act of road rage, or was there something much deeper brewing in that Grande Prairie, Alberta, neighborhood back in August 2016?
The Spark: A Landscaping Mess Gone Wrong
Most people think this was a random traffic incident. It wasn't. Honestly, the roots of this confrontation were way more mundane: a concrete and landscaping dispute.
Damian Dallyn worked for a landscaping company. He claimed that Tyler Stojan—Tissington’s stepson—owed money for work or that there was a massive disagreement over a concrete job that didn't set right. Dallyn showed up at the Stojan residence on a Saturday afternoon, allegedly to have a "civil conversation."
The other side tells a very different story. Tyler Stojan, who runs Vision Homes, later posted a lengthy explanation on Facebook. He claimed Dallyn had been harassing his family for years, dating back to 2014. According to Stojan, Dallyn showed up twice that day, making threats while children were inside the house. Stojan told him to kick rocks. Dallyn left, but then he came back and parked on the public street, watching the house.
That’s when Dennis Tissington stepped in.
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The Moment Dennis Tissington Breaks Window Glass
When Tissington approached the car, he wasn't empty-handed. He had a tactical baton. The dialogue in the video is chilling because of how matter-of-fact it is.
"Aren't you in enough trouble?" Tissington asks.
"No," Dallyn responds. "Why?"
"You're gonna be," Tissington says. "You're gonna be in the [expletive] hospital if you don't get out of here."
Dallyn points out that Tissington can't bring a weapon out on him. Tissington’s response? "Yes I can, 'cause I have one."
Then came the strike. One hit, and the driver's side window shattered. Dallyn started spitting out shards of glass. A second strike took out the rear passenger window. As Dallyn drove away, shouting that Tissington was going to jail, the older man famously retorted: "I'm too [expletive] old for that."
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Was He Really Too Old for Jail?
The short answer: No.
The Grande Prairie RCMP didn't take long to act. Tissington, who was 67 at the time, was arrested and charged with mischief. While the internet was calling for assault with a weapon or possession of a dangerous weapon charges, the initial charge was mischief under the Canadian Criminal Code.
Many people find this confusing. Why just mischief? In Canadian law, mischief involves the willful destruction of property. Because the primary damage was to the car, and Dallyn’s injuries (mostly cuts from the glass) were considered relatively minor by the initial responding officers, the charge was focused on the property damage.
The Aftermath and Legal Reality
The fallout was messy. Stojan claimed that shortly after the video went viral, someone threw a boulder through his office door with a threatening note. The "court of public opinion" had already found Tissington guilty of being a "boomer with a baton," but the legal system moved much slower.
Tissington eventually faced the music in court. While he didn't end up serving a long prison sentence, he didn't get off scot-free either. In many of these viral cases, the defendant ends up with a suspended sentence, a fine, and a requirement to pay for the damages (restitution).
Actually, the most lasting damage was to the reputations involved. Vision Homes and the landscaping company both took massive hits in online reviews. It’s a classic example of how a 30-second clip can dismantle a decades-old business reputation in an afternoon.
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Why This Video Still Ranks and Goes Viral
We see "Karen" videos and "Male Karen" videos every day now. But the Tissington clip is different. It’s the contrast. You have a man who looks like a typical grandfather acting with the calculated precision of a movie villain.
- The Weaponry: The use of a collapsible baton (often called an ASP) adds a layer of "tactical" intensity that you don't see in a standard shouting match.
- The Location: This happened in Grande Prairie, a hub in Northern Alberta known for its "tough" work culture in the oil and gas sector. The locals aren't exactly known for backing down.
- The Moral Ambiguity: If you only see the video, Tissington looks like the clear villain. If you read the backstories about alleged harassment and threats toward a family with small children, the water gets murky.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Incident
A huge misconception is that this was a random street encounter. It was actually the climax of a multi-year legal and personal feud.
Another common error is the belief that Dallyn was "just sitting there." While he was legally parked on a public road, the Stojan family argued his presence was a form of intimidation called "watching and besetting," which is also a criminal offense in Canada. However, Tissington’s decision to take the law into his own hands with a baton effectively neutralized any legal high ground the family might have had.
Lessons Learned from the Grande Prairie Baton Incident
If you find yourself in a heated dispute with a neighbor or a contractor, there are a few things this case teaches us:
- Recording is your best defense. Dallyn was smart to have his phone out. Without that video, it would have been his word against Tissington's.
- Public roads aren't always "safe." Just because you are on a public street doesn't mean you are immune to the escalating emotions of a private dispute.
- The "Too Old for Jail" defense is a myth. Judges don't care if you're 67 or 27 when you start smashing windows with a weapon.
- Property disputes belong in small claims court. The moment you bring a baton to a concrete fight, you've already lost.
If you ever find yourself in a situation where a neighbor or contractor is "parked and watching" your home, the best move isn't to grab a baton. It's to call the non-emergency police line and document the behavior. Taking the "Dennis Tissington" route usually ends with a criminal record and a permanent spot on the internet's Hall of Shame.
To stay safe and avoid legal trouble in a dispute, always prioritize de-escalation. If someone is on your property and refuses to leave, call the police immediately rather than engaging physically. If you are the one filming, ensure you are in a safe, exit-ready position, as a car window provides very little protection against a determined individual with a tool. Knowing your local laws regarding "mischief" and "trespass" can save you thousands in legal fees and a lifetime of viral notoriety.