UPDATE – 10/24/2023 – Kevin Morgan, 58, of Calgary, has been charged with one count of assault and one count of uttering threats.
After further investigation, the Calgary police said that while it’s alleged the accused made hate-based comments, it doesn’t appear to be the motivating factor for the alleged commission of the offenses. Therefore, it doesn’t meet the threshold for a hate-motivated crime, they said and has been classified as a hate incident.
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Calgary police are looking to identify a man after an alleged hate-motivated assault in southwest Calgary.
According to police, officers were called to the Southwood Centre located at 10233 Elbow Drive SW around 1:15 p.m. Friday.
Police said that a man began honking at a woman from a parked vehicle in the parking lot of the shopping centre. It’s then alleged the man left the vehicle and rushed toward the woman “aggressively gesturing” and then making punching motions in from of the woman’s face.
It’s also alleged he threatened to kill her because of his assumption of her religion, police said. The woman was able to make it to her vehicle safely, returned home and reported it to police.
“There is no place for hate in our city. Hate-motivated crimes are recognizable crimes, like assault, theft, vandalism 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,” Calgary police said in a media statement.
“If you see hate, report it. Visit www.reporthate.ca for more information on how and why to report.”
The suspect is described as a 60-year-old male with a heavy build, bald, wearing brown sunglasses, a checkered blue shirt, black pants and black shoes.
Anyone with further information on this incident is asked to call Calgary police at 403-266-1234.
