Police seek witnesses in two hate-motivated incidents
We are seeking witnesses for two separate hate-motivated incidents involving the graffiti of a Black Lives Matter logo and a road rage incident where it is believed an Asian citizen was targeted due to their race.
On Friday, April 30, 2021, police were notified of an offensive message written on a Black Lives Matter logo on a sidewalk located at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and Second Street S.W.
While it is unknown as to when exactly the graffiti occurred, it is believed to have happened within the last week as the markings aren’t faded or weathered.
The graffiti was written in permanent marker and targets people of colour.
As a result, this incident is being investigated as a hate-motivated crime because it is a criminal offence to deface public property and the graffiti has racist overtones.
Graffiti is more than a property offence. It often has a lasting emotional impact especially if the graffiti indicates that victims have been intentionally targeted due to a personal characteristic or trait.
We are also investigating a road rage incident that left the victim’s vehicle damaged.
On Thursday, April 15, 2021, at approximately 3 p.m., an elderly Asian man was stopped at a red light on northbound Harvest Hills Boulevard near 96 Avenue N.E. An unknown man, believed to be driving a silver Ford Fusion or Ford Focus, pulled up alongside the elderly man and yelled at him to go back to his own country while also giving an obscene gesture.
The elderly man turned eastbound onto 96 Avenue N.E. and was followed by the offender. The offender pulled in front of the man and stopped his vehicle in the roadway and exited the vehicle. The offender kicked the rear left door of the victim’s vehicle causing a significant dent. The offender then got back into his vehicle and fled the area.
The suspect is described as white, approximately 25-years-old and approximately 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with a pattern on it.
There was also a passenger in the suspect’s vehicle.
We are looking to speak with anyone who may have witnessed either of these incidents and ask that anyone who may have dashcam footage of the road rage incident to come forward. Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously through the following methods:
TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org
APP: P3 Tips
CA # 21153503/4771
Hate-motivated crimes are recognizable crimes, like assault, theft, graffiti 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.