Man gets conditional discharge for assault of 92-year-old Asian man in Vancouver

The man seen on video shoving an older Asian man at a Vancouver convenience store two years ago has been sentenced to a conditional discharge, one year of probation and 20 hours of community service.

Jamie Bezanson, 51, pleaded guilty to one charge of assault in relation to the disturbing March 13, 2020, incident at East 1st Avenue at Nanaimo Street and was sentenced in provincial court on Monday.

He is prohibited from contacting the victim and several others, and must not visit the 7-Eleven where the assault took place.

Two years ago, as the pandemic took hold in Canada, police said Bezanson yelled racist remarks at the 92-year-old victim, including comments about COVID-19. Footage from security cameras at the store then shows him grabbing the victim’s arm, leading him outside, and shoving him.

The victim, who suffers from severe dementia, fell and hit his head, but was not injured.

Bezanson is then seen propping the older man up to a sitting position before going back inside the shop. At the time, police said he fled before officers arrived.

The incident was initially investigated as a possible hate crime, but Crown prosecutors later determined that even with seven witnesses and the security footage, there was not a reasonable likelihood they could prove it was motivated by hate.

“Hate crimes cases are complex, and investigators must consider a variety of factors when collecting evidence,” Sgt. Steve Addison with the Vancouver police said in a statement Monday. “We trust the judiciary to independently assess all evidence in any given case, and to conclude whether hate, prejudice or bias were aggravating factors. We respect the decision of the courts.”

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In the sentencing decision read aloud in court on Monday, the judge noted that Bezanson turned himself in as soon as he became aware he was the subject of a police investigation.

He had no previous criminal record, indicated his intention to plead guilty to the assault charge early, and has expressed remorse for his actions, court heard. He has also participated in anger management.

The Crown and defense had prepared a joint submission in the case on sentencing, agreed to by the judge.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vancouver residents have seen a concerning number of crimes motivated by hate, prejudice and bias,” Addison added. “These incidents range from slurs to assaults to offensive graffiti, and throughout the pandemic members of Vancouver’s Asian community have been disproportionately targeted.”