A man is facing charges in connection with an alleged hate-motivated incident at a Halifax Costco
Halifax Regional Police said its officers, along with members of the RCMP, made the arrest Thursday afternoon at a home in Port Dufferin, N.S
“During the arrest, the man brandished a weapon and officers deployed a conductive energy weapon,” police said in a Friday release
“He was treated on scene by EHS and medically cleared.”
The investigation began this past Saturday when a suspect was recorded yelling a racist, profanity-laden tirade at the store in the Bayers Lake business district
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) described the incident as a “racist and Islamophobic attack” against two Muslim women wearing hijabs
The man can be heard telling people to “get out of our country” and threatening multiple times to kill “every one of you.”
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He also appears to hit the person who is recording the video
Fayez Hamam, who recorded the video that’s been widely shared across the country, told Global News he was shocked and angered by what happened
“I’ve been here in Halifax for more than 19 years or 20 years and this is the first time I saw something (like this),” he said
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Halifax Muslim community speaks out after racist tirade caught on camera
Hamam told Global News he had called 911 and filed a report with police
In a statement on social media, the NCCM said they were “relieved” to see an arrest had been made and thanked police for their “dedication and hard work on this file.”
“This cannot be the new normal,” the group added. “We call on all leaders to help construct a new Islamophobia national strategy.”
Halifax Regional Police’s Hate Crime Unit was involved with the investigation and released images of the suspect from the video in hopes of identifying him
According to police, Randall Byron Publicover, 37, is scheduled to appear in Halifax Provincial Court on Friday to face charges of:
- Public incitement of hatred
- Assault
- Four counts of uttering threats to cause bodily harm or death
- Two counts of mischief
- Resist peace officer
- Possession of a weapon dangerous to public peace
Halifax police added it is thankful to those in the public who came forward to help identify the suspect
“Crimes and incidents motivated by hate are taken very seriously. If someone finds themselves exposed to behaviour that is offensive, threatening or intimidating, they are encouraged to report it to police,” they added
