The Montreal Police logo is seen on a police car in Montreal on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
MONTREAL – The Montreal police hate crimes unit is asking for the public’s help as it attempts to identify a young man who assaulted two Hasidic Jews on the night of Jan. 20.
In a security video of the first attack, the suspect can be seen walking down a sidewalk in the city’s Outremont borough while a man dressed in clothing typical of the Hasidic community walks in the other direction on the road.
The suspect pauses before running between two parked cars and violently pushing the Hasidic man from behind.
The victim falls forward onto the road as the suspect runs away, joining a group of people further up the sidewalk, who also begin running.
Police say that around half an hour later, a few blocks away, the same suspect kicked another member of the Hasidic community in the back, knocking him to the ground.
Police describe the suspect as a white male around 18 years old and say they released images of him, even though he may be a minor, because they hope members of the public will be able to identify him.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2023.
