Transit police arrest suspect in alleged hate crime

Transit police say they have arrested a suspect after an apparent hate crime in late September.

The news comes only a few hours after police released a video of a man getting off the SkyTrain after, police allege, he assaulted and harassed two men who were onboard.

Transit police said two young men got on the SkyTrain at Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver at about 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28. As they boarded, “another man kicked the foot of one of the young men and then left his seat to aggressively approach him. The victim crouched down in fear as the (man) 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 an unidentified passenger pulled the attacker away from the victim. 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 man tried to kick one of the men in the stomach, spat in the other’s face and continued to hurl profanities and homophobic remarks at the couple as he walked away.

Transit police have liaised with the B.C. hate crimes team on the case. Anyone with more information is asked to call the tip line at 604-516-7419 or text 87-77-77, citing reference file No. 2018-17964.