Calgary police have laid charges against a man accused of attacking another man while shouting racial slurs during a summer afternoon incident in the city’s southwest.Investigators said the assault happened around 2:20 p.m. on June 24 at a crosswalk near Southland Dr. and Southport Rd. S.W. A man and woman were waiting to cross when a stranger approached and struck the man, then fled on foot after yelling a racial comment.The incident was reported to police, who later identified the suspect after he turned himself in for a separate hate-motivated assault downtown.Kyle Thompson, 32, of Calgary, has been charged with one count of assault and one count of assault causing bodily harm. .He is scheduled to appear in court on October 17.Police said evidence of hate motivation is considered during sentencing if a person is convicted, and judges can impose harsher penalties when hate is found to be a factor.“Hate-motivated crimes are recognizable crimes like assault, theft or vandalism, where the offender was motivated by bias, prejudice or hate,” police said in a statement. “There is no place for hate in our city.”Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Calgary police at 403-266-1234 or submit tips anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or calgarycrimestoppers.org.
