Hate-motivated assault on Calgary bus

The Calgary Police Service is investigating a hate-motivated assault of a Calgary Transit bus driver that occurred in September 2018.

On Monday, Sept. 3, 2018, at approximately 11:40 a.m., an unknown woman boarded a Calgary Transit bus that was travelling south on 18 Street S.E. near 69 Avenue S.E. When the woman boarded, she became verbally abusive towards the bus driver and was yelling racial slurs, at which point the bus driver pulled over and asked the woman to leave the bus. The woman then threw a slush drink at the driver before fleeing the scene.

The Calgary Police Service Hate Crimes Coordinator is now investigating the incident.

The woman is described as Indigenous, 5’4” tall, with a medium build and is believed to be in her 20s. At the time of the alleged assault she was wearing a white and pink hoodie and black pants.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the Calgary Police Service by calling the non-emergency number at 403-266-1234 or emailing the Hate Crimes Coordinator at hatecrime@calgarypolice.ca. Tips can also be left anonymously through Crime Stoppers using either of the following methods:

TALK: 1-800-222-8477

TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org

Hate-motived crimes are crimes where the offender is motivated entirely or in part by bias, prejudice or hate that is based on any of ten personal characteristics of the victim. The ten characteristics are race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression, or on any other similar factor.

When police lay criminal charges in relation to hate motivated investigation, evidence is presented at the conclusion of the trial to articulate the hate bias motivation. This is presented as an aggravating factor, and allows the court to consider extra sentencing considerations.

Case #18398537 / 4771