Edmonton police charge suspect in 3rd attack in 10 days described as 'hate-motivated'
38-year-old man charged after Black man was attacked Wednesday, Edmonton police said
A 38-year-old man has been charged with uttering death threats and assault causing bodily harm after a Black man was assaulted in central Edmonton Wednesday in what police called a 'hate-motivated' attack.
A police news release Friday said the Edmonton Police Service hate crimes and violent extremism unit is recommending that Section 718.2 of the Criminal Code of Canada be applied in the case, allowing the courts to consider a harsher sentence if there is evidence the offence was motivated by hatred.
The release called the Wednesday morning attack a "hate-motivated incident." It was the third attack in 10 days that Edmonton police have described as hate-motivated.
A 41-year-old Edmonton man was charged in an attack on two women wearing hijabs outside the Southgate Centre shopping mall on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
A week later, police said a woman wearing a hijab was assaulted at the nearby Southgate LRT station by a 32-year-old woman who was charged with assault with a weapon.
Suspect assaulted Black man in his yard: police
In the latest incident, police said a 48-year-old Black man was walking on a residential street near his home in the Parkdale neighbourhood at around 10 a.m. Wednesday when another man approached him and began yelling racially motivated obscenities and death threats before pushing him.
Fearing for his safety, the complainant ran away, but the suspect gave chase, following him into his backyard and assaulting him, the police release said.
Northwest Division beat officers, in the area on an unrelated matter, saw the chase and with the help of a witness, located the residence in time to intervene in the attack and arrest the suspect.
Paramedics treated the complainant for non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said the men do not know each other.
Joseph Gladue, 38, is charged with assault causing bodily harm and uttering death threats, police said.
Police believe Wednesday's attack is unrelated to the two incidents at Southgate Centre.