You’ve probably seen the video. It’s one of those clips that surfaces on social media every couple of years, usually under a title like "Boomer Loses It." A man walks up to a car with a baton, looking oddly calm, and proceeds to smash out the windows while the driver records the whole thing. The man in the video is Dennis Tissington, and the incident happened right in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
Honestly, it’s one of the most surreal pieces of footage to come out of northern Alberta. But while the 30-second clip went global, the actual story behind what happened in that driveway is way more complicated than just a "road rage" incident. It involves a massive dispute over landscaping, allegations of fraud, and a family that felt they were being pushed to the brink.
The Day the Windows Shattered
It was August 2016. Damian Dallyn, the man filming, had driven to a home in a Grande Prairie subdivision. He was there to confront Tyler Stojan—Tissington's stepson—about a business dispute. Dallyn claimed he was owed money for concrete work that was either never finished or done poorly.
Then things got weird.
Instead of a verbal argument between the two businessmen, Dennis Tissington stepped out. He didn't come out yelling. He walked up with a telescoping baton. The dialogue in the video is almost cinematic in how chilling it is.
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"Aren't you in enough trouble?" Tissington asks.
"No," Dallyn replies.
"You're gonna be," Tissington says, "You're gonna be in the f***ing hospital if you don't get out of here."
When Dallyn points out that Tissington has a weapon, Tissington smiles and says, "Yes I can, 'cause I have one." Then—crack. He smashes the driver's side window. Glass flies into Dallyn's mouth. Then he hits the back window.
What the Viral Video Didn't Show
Most people see that clip and think it's a random act of violence. But the Stojan and Tissington family told a very different story after the video blew up. According to Tyler Stojan, the conflict didn't start that day. It had been simmering since 2014.
Stojan claimed that Dallyn had been harassing his family for weeks. He alleged that Dallyn had shown up at their home multiple times, making threats while his small children were inside. The family's perspective was basically this: they felt hunted. They had a "plan of action" for if Dallyn showed up again.
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When Dallyn pulled up that Saturday, Stojan called his stepdad. Dennis Tissington didn't just happen to be there; he was called in as the "enforcer" because the family felt the police weren't doing enough to stop the harassment.
The Legal Fallout: "Too Old for Jail"
One of the funniest—or most infuriating—parts of the video is when Dallyn tells Tissington he’s going to jail. Tissington’s response? "I'm too f***ing old for that."
Well, the RCMP didn't agree.
Tissington was arrested and charged with criminal mischief. A lot of people online were calling for assault with a weapon or possession of a dangerous weapon, but the initial charge stayed at mischief.
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The aftermath was a mess of lawsuits. Stojan threatened defamation suits. Dallyn spoke to every news outlet that would listen, showing off the cuts on his face from the flying glass. It became a "he-said, she-said" that divided the Grande Prairie community. Some saw Tissington as a hero protecting his family from a harasser; others saw him as a violent man who thought he was above the law because of his age and status in the local home-building industry.
Where Are They Now?
It's been years since that baton hit the glass. In the time since, the internet has mostly moved on to the next viral freakout, but the Dennis Tissington Grande Prairie incident remains a case study in how business disputes can turn into criminal records.
Tissington, who was 67 at the time of the arrest, has largely stayed out of the public eye. His family's business, which was heavily targeted by online "review bombing" after the video went viral, had to navigate a PR nightmare that lasted for years.
Actionable Takeaways from the Incident
If you ever find yourself in a heated business or property dispute, there are real lessons to be learned from this Grande Prairie blow-up:
- Document, Don't Escalate: Dallyn recording was the only reason the world saw Tissington’s actions. If you feel threatened, start filming, but stay in the car and leave the property.
- The "Self-Defense" Myth: You cannot legally use a weapon like a baton to "scare" someone off a public road or a driveway in Canada unless there is an immediate threat of death or grievous bodily harm. Tissington’s "protection" of his family resulted in a criminal charge because the threat wasn't immediate enough to justify smashing windows.
- Internet Infamy is Permanent: Ten years later, a Google search for Tissington’s name still brings up that video. One moment of lost temper can define your reputation for the rest of your life.
- Civil Courts vs. Criminal Acts: If someone owes you money, the driveway is the worst place to collect it. Liens and small claims court are slow, but they don't end with glass in your face or a trip to the police station.
If you're dealing with a contractor dispute or a boundary issue, the best move is always to involve a mediator or legal counsel before things reach a boiling point. Once a baton comes out, the original argument about money or landscaping doesn't matter anymore—the law only cares about the violence that followed.