Charges Filed In Hate-Motivated Attack, Calgary Investigators Still Looking For Bystander To Intervene – Calgary | The Canadian News

Charges have been brought after a hate-fueled tirade at a Calgary CTrain earlier this fall.

Police say Gary Dawson, 63, has been charged with assault, criminal harassment, causing a riot and mischief. The case is being treated as motivated by hatred.

On the night of September 2, a young woman from South Asia was riding the train and a couple with a child in a stroller boarded Chinook Station.

One parent sat in a seat with their son, while the other stayed close by.

Police say a man on the train began telling the young woman to give up her seat to the father who was standing and, despite the couple assuring the man and woman that they did not need the seat, the man’s comments they escalated to include racial and sexual slurs. The man stood up and walked towards the young woman, but another passenger intervened and blocked him.

Calgary Transit staff were alerted and the man was told to leave the train at the City Hall station. The woman then met with the police at a later station to report what happened.

“No one should have to fear for their safety when they are enjoying our city, especially if that fear stems from being a target because of their race or some other personal characteristic,” said Sgt. Gareth Joels with the CPS Hate and Extremism team.

“This type of behavior is completely unacceptable and we want this young woman to know that the Calgarians do not agree with what happened to her.

“It shows in the fact that people intervened on the train, and I hope it is reflected in all the investigative work we have done to try to hold the responsible person responsible.”

The investigation continues and police are still waiting to speak to the intervened bystander and anyone else who witnessed the incident.

Police said in a press release that hate crimes are recognizable crimes, such as assault, robbery, vandalism or any other crime, in which the offender was motivated by prejudice, prejudice or hatred based on one of the nine personal characteristics of the victim.

And while a hate motive does not lead to additional charges, the courts consider any evidence of it after a person is convicted of the related crime and can be added to the sentence of the convicted person.