EDMONTON – A woman who taunted an African immigrant with racial epithets before unloading a can of bear spray in his face while he shopped at an Edmonton convenience store pleaded guilty in provincial court Thursday to charges related to the incident.
Lacey Dawn Snyder, 22, admitted she and a friend repeatedly called Valentin Masepode a “n-r” while he talked on his cellphone in a 7-Eleven on Sept. 27, 2009, causing him and other horrified customers to fear for his safety.
The attack culminated when Snyder approached Masepode and said, “I have something for you n-r,” before deploying a can of bear spray in his face, court heard.
Masepode, who is black, did not know either Snyder or her co-accused, Dylan Alfred Trommel. The assault was entirely unprovoked.
Snyder showed no emotion while details of the incident were read into court on Thursday. Trommel was sentenced to 60 days in jail earlier this year for the incident, but Snyder must return to court this fall to be sentenced.
According to the agreed statement of facts, Snyder and Trommel were in a 7-Eleven at 4939 118th Avenue around midnight that night. When Masepode, 32, walked into the store, talking on his cellphone, Trommel asked Snyder “Do you hear what the n-r is saying?” Snyder then uttered more derogatory remarks toward Masepode.
Trommel told Masepode, “This is our country,” Crown prosecutor Tania Sarkar told court.
The pair continued to laugh and taunt Masepode, who was shocked by their racist and threatening language.
Sarkar told court the other eight convenience store customers were scared the situation could turn violent, and one Good Samaritan offered to escort Masepode outside.
Masepode was “truly fearful” for his life,” Sarkar said, so he decided to position himself in front of the store’s security camera so any physical assault would be captured on video. One customer heard Snyder talk about how much she hates black people,
Snyder and Trommel eventually left the store, but gestured to Masepode, bidding him to come outside. Masepode refused.
According to the agreed statement of facts, Snyder than charged back into the store and said, “I have something for you n-r.”
She deployed the bear spray in Masepode’s face, burning his eyes and nasal passages. Two teenagers standing nearby were also affected by the spray, said the agreed statement of facts.
The entire incident was caught on videotape. Police recognized Snyder and Trommel and later arrested them for the incident.
In an interview with the Journal earlier this year, Masepode said he had never before been the target of the racist language he heard at the store that night.
“I was very shocked because I like to maintain the peace and this just happened out of nowhere,” he said.
Masepode, who moved to Canada from Kenya with his family in 2001 and is a student, said he accepted the apology that Trommel offered in court when he was sentenced in May.
“I accept his apology because he’s still a young kid, growing up,” he said at the time.
Snyder’s defence lawyer Kent Teskey said his client was drunk at the time of the incident. He asked for a pre-sentence report to be completed and Snyder will be back in court Sept. 16.
Snyder pleaded guilty to one count of criminal harassment and one count of assault with a weapon.
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