Police seek help to ID suspect in apparent SkyTrain hate crime

Transit police are asking for help in identifying the suspect in an apparent hate-crime incident and have released a video of him.

Two young men got on the SkyTrain at Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver at about 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28, according to a statement from Metro Vancouver Transit police. As they boarded, “another man kicked the foot of one of the young men and then left his seat to approach him. The victim crouched down in fear as the suspect raised his hand as if to hit him, while yelling obscenities and homophobic insults.”

The victim’s husband pushed the yellow emergency strip on the train.

As the suspect again got aggressive toward the victim, the husband of the victim grabbed the suspect and pulled him away.

The suspect then hit the husband in the face, knocking off his glasses, according to police. As the train pulled into Granville SkyTrain Station, police said the suspect tried to kick one of the men in the stomach, spat in the other’s face and continued to hurl profanities and homophobic remarks.

The suspect is described as Caucasian, 30 to 40 years old, 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-4, with a strong but not muscular build. He had several days of stubble growth on a longer face and was wearing red Nike shoes, a black baseball cap, darkhooded jacket, and black shorts.