Calgary man charged after ‘hate-motivated’ attack on woman on LRT

A Calgary man is facing multiple charges after what police are calling a “hate-motivated” racist attack targeting a South Asian woman who was travelling on the LRT in early September.

The woman was riding in a CTrain at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 2 when a couple with a stroller boarded at the Chinook station, Calgary police said in a news release Wednesday.

One parent sat with the child, while another stood next to it.

A man told the young woman to give up her seat to the parent who was standing.

“Despite the couple assuring the woman and man that they did not need the seat, the man’s comments escalated to racial and sexual insults. The man then stood up and walked toward the young woman, but another passenger intervened and blocked him,” police said.

Transit personnel told the man to get off the train at City Hall Station. The young woman gave a statement to police further down the LRT line.

“This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable,” Calgary Police Service Sgt. Gareth Joels said in the release.

“We want this young woman to know that the people of Calgary do not agree with what happened to her. That is evident in the fact that people on the train intervened, and I hope that is evident in all the investigative work that we have done to hold the person responsible accountable.”

Gary Francis Dawson, 63, of Calgary, is charged with assault, criminal harassment, causing a disturbance and criminal damage.

Police said the incident is being treated as hate-motivated, meaning it could be factored into sentencing if the person is found guilty.

If you have any additional information, please contact the Calgary Police Department at 403-266-1234. Please quote case number 21345480/5124.