EDMONTON -- Police have made an arrest after a woman wearing a hijab was attacked at the Southgate LRT station on Tuesday. It is the second hate-motivated attack outside the same Edmonton mall in a week.
Rene Ladouceur, 32, has been charged with assault with a weapon, according to the Edmonton Police Service.
In what police are calling a hate-motivated incident, Ladouceur is alleged to have approached a 23-year-old woman inside the southeast doors of the station at approximately 10:45 a.m. She reportedly yelled racially-motivated obscenities and attempted hit the woman with her shopping bag.
An ETS Transit Peace Officer intervened and contacted police, who took the woman into custody.
In addition to the assault charge, Ladouceur also had nine outstanding warrants.
The Alberta Muslim Public Affairs Council (AMPAC) posted about the attack on social media and thanked police for their prompt action.
EPS said Wednesday that its Hate Crimes and Violent Extremism Unit is recommending that prosecutors apply Section 718.2 of the Criminal Code of Canada to this case, which would allow increased sentencing if there is evidence the offence was motivated by hatred.
Police say this attack is not connected to the attack outside Southgate Centre on Dec. 8.
Richard Stevens, 41, was charged with attacking two women wearing hijabs outside the south Edmonton mall in what police called a "hate-motivated incident".
“This isn’t what we want Edmonton to be known for, so from our perspective we’re going to do everything within our authority and our power to bring accountability to these actions,” EPS Chief Dale McFee told CTV News Edmonton.
Mayor Don Iveson condemned both incidents in a video shared online.
"This city council has made clear time and time again that hatred in any form, including racism, misogyny and Islamophobia have no place in our community," Iveson said. "While there appear to be unrelated and distinct dimensions to these incidents, they are both outright unacceptable and downright un-Edmontonian."
Premier Jason Kenney also expressed his frustration at news of another racially-motivated attack on Wednesday morning.
