A Calgary man is facing hate-motivated charges after allegedly shouting a series of racist insults on board a bus last month.
Police say a Calgary Transit bus was travelling along 31 Street SW when a man walked in front of the bus and forced it to stop before reaching a bus stop.
The driver opened the door and let the man on the bus and he sat directly behind the driver. It is alleged the man started shouting “racist” and “degrading” things at the driver.
A passenger asked the man to stop but he allegedly went on to make more racist insults at the driver and other passengers for more than 10 minutes. The man eventually got off the bus at another stop.
Investigators say they were able to identify a suspect after reviewing security footage, additional video and gathering witness statements.
Police have charged 62-year-old Calgary resident Darren Andrew Hobbs with one count of criminal harassment and one count of causing a disturbance. Both charges have been deemed hate-motivated.
The accused will appear in court in August.
“We know that incidents fueled by hate affect not only the victim, but also the people who witness them,” says Const. Matt Messenger with the Calgary Police Service Hate Crime Prevention Team. “In this case, the witnesses were Calgarians of all ages accessing transit to go to school, or work, and may now not feel safe in their own community.”
Police are reminding residents to report any instances of hate by calling 403-266-1234, or visiting www.reporthate.ca.