Man charged in road-rage incident that led to hate-motivated offences

A road-rage incident yesterday led to what are believed to be hate-motivated offences in a concerning interaction captured on camera. Officers responded immediately to the call for assistance from the victim and were quickly able to track down the suspect and lay charges.

Around 5:20 p.m., on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, a man was driving his car on Bow Trail S.W., near 24 Street S.W., doing approximately 50 km/h in the 70 km/h zone. An F-150 truck began tailgating the driver and proceeded to honk its horn. The driver of the car applied his brakes. The driver of the truck drove in front of the car where he came to a complete stop. The man got out of his truck and approached the car, yelling profanities and pounding on the car window with a fist. He returned to his truck, backed up against the flow of traffic and positioned himself behind the car while continuing to yell out his window.

The car driver attempted to drive away, however, the driver of the truck once again pulled in front and stopped. The truck driver exited his vehicle and again began to bang on the car window while continuing to yell profanity, vague threats and derogatory comments. The man then called the car driver a “terrorist” and stated he had a picture of “Allah and Muhammad” in his truck, before ripping the windshield wiper off the car. The suspect returned to his vehicle and drove away.

Officers arrived shortly after and reviewed the video evidence captured by the victim. The driver of the truck was quickly identified, and officers attended his residence where he was arrested and charged.

Alex John HUDSON, 27, has been charged with mischief to a motor vehicle. He will next appear in court on Wednesday, July 7, 2021.

The investigation into the totality of the events is currently ongoing. Although the initial altercation is believed to have resulted from a road-rage incident, we are investigating whether hate-motivated bias contributed to the ongoing interaction.

“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. We take these concerns very seriously and work with our various cultural and racialized communities to offer support while the investigative process is underway,” says Senior Const. Craig Collins, Hate Crimes Coordinator with the Calgary Police Service.

Hate-motivated crimes are recognizable crimes, like assault, theft, vandalism or any other crime, where the offender was motivated by bias, prejudice or hate that is based on one of nine personal characteristics of the victim.

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

Case #21194678