EDMONTON — The Edmonton Police Service has laid charges, including two counts of assault causing bodily harm, against a man in connection with an August stabbing at a Sikh gurdwara in northeast Edmonton. EPS announced on Thursday that they charged 27-year-old Austin Sim-Pelletier on Sept. 4 with two counts of assault causing bodily harm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and mischief..Sim-Pelletier is alleged to have walked into the Nanaksar Sikh Gurdwara near 14 St. and Horsehill Rd. in the early morning hours of Aug. 21, at which point he attempted to access the prayer area when he was confronted by staff. An ensuing altercation led to Sim-Pelletier allegedly stabbing two patrons, a 75-year-old male and a 51-year-old male, who were transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The EPS Investigative Response Team (IRT) and Hate Crimes Unit continue to investigate the incident, including an ongoing assessment of evidence relevant to applying hate-related criminal provisions.“This investigation is complex and involves numerous investigative steps that we are still diligently working to complete,” said Staff Sgt. Eric Stewart of the EPS Investigations Branch.“We want to thank everyone for their cooperation and patience and on behalf of the Gurdwara, kindly ask the media and public to give their community space and privacy at this time.”Stewart said the current evidence does not support hate crime charges. .The incident garnered attention and has fueled conversations about Canada's judicial system, after police revealed that Sim-Pelletier was released on bail from an Alberta prison on Aug. 20, and he was supposed to report to a halfway house in Edmonton but failed to do so. Sim-Pelletier had been in prison in relation to a 2020 incident in Red Deer where he shot an individual before fleeing the scene. He was convicted of aggravated assault and assaulting a police officer and had served 20 months of a 31-month sentence before being released. EPS initially took Sim-Pelletier into custody on a warrant issued after he failed to report to his designated halfway house, but the additional charges related to the gurdwara were laid on Sept. 4. The investigation remains ongoing, and police have not indicated whether hate-related criminal provisions will ultimately be applied.Sim-Pelletier is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 18.
