Charges laid in racist road rage incident, police investigating as hate crime
Posted May 27, 2021 8:59 am.
Last Updated May 27, 2021 1:35 pm.
CALGARY – Calgary police say they’ve laid charges in a racist road rage incident captured in a video shared online.
In the video, a man is seen getting out of his truck and approaching another driver, who is recording the video.
The man bangs on the car window, threatens him, and hurls slurs at the driver, calling him a terrorist.
He also tells the driver that he has a photo of Muhammad in his truck and laughs.
He eventually walks away, tearing off a windshield wiper from the car before getting back into his truck.
The Calgary Police were called and arrived at this event shortly after it occurred. Evidence was gathered and the person involved was identified, located and charged.
— Calgary Police (@CalgaryPolice) May 27, 2021
Police say they were called to the scene around 5:20 Wednesday night and were quickly able to track down the suspect.
A 27-year-old man has been charged with mischief to a motor vehicle and is scheduled to appear in court in July.
Police say they’re still investigating whether hate-motivated bias contributed to Wednesday’s events.
“Incidents where a person is targeted for their race or culture have a significant impact on not only the victim, but the broader community as it can impact their sense of safety,” said Hate Crime Coordinator Const. Craig Collins in a release.
“We take these concerns very seriously and work with our various cultural and racialized communities to offer support while the investigative process is underway.”
Posts on social media indicate the victim that was threatened is a new Canadian who only recently moved to Calgary from Vancouver.
The posts also allege the person may have been targeted because he had a Palestinian flag in his back window but police have not confirmed that.
