Police are charging a Hamilton man they say was caught spray-painting a dumpster with Nazi symbols in the city centre last weekend.
According to investigators, officers got a call out to a location near Emerald Street North and King Street East around 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Witnesses reported that a man was spray-painting Nazi symbols.
Upon arrival, police observed swastikas and SS lightning bolt symbols as well as hate/bias-related speech sprayed with black paint on the outside of a garbage bin.
Not long after, officers say they caught up with a man hiding behind a dumpster holding evidence “placing him at the scene.”
As a result, detectives have charged 33-year-old Hamilton resident Shane Gorman with mischief under $5,000.
Investigators say this is the second case of hate graffiti vandalism case they’ve been dealing with in the past seven days.
Last Thursday, a 40-year-old Hamilton man was also charged with mischief after police accused him of painting hate graffiti near the base of the escarpment at the James Street stairs. He was also charged with mischief under $5,000.
Police say there were four separate cases of vandalism in the area of James Street South and the Claremont Access, as well as another case of hate-based vandalism in the area of King St. West and Wentworth St. North late last month.
Any with information is asked to call police at 905-546-4725, reach out to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip anonymously online.