Vancouver police are asking for the public’s help to find a woman who threw hot coffee in the face of an employee at a Tim Hortons on the edge of the Downtown Eastside.
The incident happened around 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Tim Hortons at Pender and Abbott streets.
Police have released security video, which shows a female worker handing the suspect a cup of coffee. The suspect can be seen removing the lid, then throwing the content of the cup at the employee.
The suspect left before police arrived.
“This employee was just trying to do her job,” VPD spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin said in a media release.
“It’s appalling that she was subjected to this type of abuse and it’s extremely fortunate that she was not seriously injured.”
The suspect is described as Caucasian, between the ages of 25 and 30 years old, with a medium build and black and green shoulder-length hair.
At the time of the incident, she was dressed in a black T-shirt with a black jacket on top, black jeans and black boots. She was also wearing a black face mask and carrying a camouflage backpack.
Police said the case is also being reviewed by the VPD’s hate crimes unit to determine if elements of “hate, prejudice or bias” were factors.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect, witnessed the incident or has information is asked to contact Vancouver police.