Vancouver police hunt ‘despicable’ racist attacker who threw down a lost 92-year-old Asian man and shouted Covid-19 slurs
- The victim, who suffered from dementia, had just been reported missing by his family
- Police say anti-Asian hate crimes are on the rise in Vancouver amid the coronavirus pandemic
Vancouver police are hunting for the suspect in a “despicable” racist attack on a 92-year-old Asian man with dementia, who was thrown to the ground as his attacker shouted slurs about Covid-19.
The victim had just been reported missing by his family when he wandered into a convenience store and encountered his attacker.
“Everything about this assault and the behaviour of the suspect is despicable,” said Constable Tania Visintin, a media relations officer. “As a police department, we do not tolerate incidents motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate. It’s even more disturbing considering the victim’s age.”
The attack, captured on video that was released with a plea to the public to identify the suspect, occurred on March 13 on the city’s Eastside, which has long been associated with Vancouver’s working-class Chinese community.