Mounties seek witnesses to alleged hate crime

Mounties are seeking witnesses to an alleged hate crime in Richmond.

According to Richmond RCMP, officers responded just after 2 p.m. on May 17 to reports of an assault at Steveston Highway and No. 5 Road.

The victim, an Asian male, told police that he was parking his vehicle at 10820 No. 5 Rd. when a Blue BMW pulled up next to him and the driver, a white man, began yelling racial slurs at him. Both men got out of their vehicles, and the verbal abuse continued.

“The complainant then got back into his vehicle and locked his doors,” said Cpl. Adriana Peralta, “at which point, the male continued making racist remarks while allegedly pounding on the complainant’s front passenger side window.”

The victim sought refuge at a local business, police said, but the man followed him inside and assaulted him.

Mounties have already arrested a suspect but are appealing for additional witnesses, as the investigation continues.

“An incident like this affects everyone in our community,” said Peralta. “While various evidence has been gathered, we want to hear from anyone who may have witnessed it. We can also provide an opportunity for victim support, in many languages, and we’re asking anyone who hasn’t already to come forward.”

The suspect is described as five-foot-eight, with an athletic build, short, greying hair and an accent. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a blue dress shirt, grey vest and black dress slacks.

“Richmond RCMP assure the public that all racially motivated incidents will be thoroughly investigated and that hate-motivated crimes are treated seriously,” said Peralta.

Public disclosure of this incident falls on the same day Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart proclaimed to be a Day of Action Against Racism.

The proclamation follows a spike in anti-Asian hate crimes, not just in Vancouver but across the country.

Last week, the Vancouver Police Department said that 77 such incidents have been reported to them this year, compared to 51 in the same period last year.

Friday also saw the launch of a new website, Fight COVID Racism, dedicated to tracking and reporting these incidents nationwide.

The site is a joint effort by a coalition of community groups, including the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice and the Civic Engagement Network Society of Canada.

Users can report incidents through a form on the site, which is available in several languages.