Ukrainian man threatened at Calgary grocery store, ongoing war possible motivation: police

Calgary police are looking for a man they say harassed and threatened a fellow patron at a southeast grocery store in December.

Investigators say just before 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 31, 2024, a Ukrainian man was approached by a stranger at the T & T Supermarket at 25 Heritage Meadows Way SE.

It’s believed the suspect overheard the victim speaking Ukrainian on the phone before approaching him and verbally harassing and threatening him.

As the Ukrainian man left the store, police say the suspect allegedly got a knife from his truck and went up to the man again.

Investigators say the suspect threatened to physically hurt the man, and made references to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

The victim went back into the store and was helped by security, who called police. He wasn’t injured.

Police say the suspect left the scene before officers arrived.

Investigators are now looking for help from the public to find the man, described as a man in his 50s with a light skin tone, wearing blue jeans, a dark jacket, and a baseball cap with Russian symbols.

He was seen driving off in a black or dark blue Nissan Frontier with a detachable Russian flag clipped to the driver side door.

Any evidence of hate motivation is considered by the courts after a person is convicted of the connected crime. If the judge decides during sentencing that hate was a motivation for the crime, it can be an aggravating factor which can add to the convicted person’s sentence.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact police at 403-266-1234 or tip anonymously through CrimeStoppers.