Police have charged a 27-year-old Hamilton man in connection with an alleged hate crime that took place in early April.
Investigators released few details on that occurrence but said the accused was the subject of a recent separate dispute in which it’s believed he uttered ‘hateful comments’ towards individuals in a sedan on the Victoria Day long weekend.
“It was believed to have taken place in Upper Stoney Creek,” Hamilton police said in a release.
“The content of the video displayed a male driving a blue pickup truck while making hateful comments towards an unknown person.”
The incident on the long-weekend was not reported to police.
The Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion (HCCI) posted video from the most recent incident via social media on Tuesday.
“These incidents are rampant in #HamOnt. Black & Racialized communities are subjected to this time and time again. How do we hold perpetrators accountable?” the post from the HCCI said.
The agency did not reveal who the victims were in the episode.
The suspect has been charged with uttering threats for an April 1 disturbance and is expected to appear in court in late July.
Both incidents are a part of ongoing investigations.
Hamilton police reported a 13.1 per cent decrease in hate incidents when a 2020 year-end study is presented at a board meeting in April.
The study said the city’s Black population was the most targeted with 33 racial bias experiences reported.
The HCCI’s Kojo Damptey said the report didn’t capture the “whole picture” since a significant number of claims were not deemed worthy by investigators.