A man has been charged after he allegedly uttered transphobic and homophobic slurs and threatened two people in Hamilton over the long weekend.
The incident happened on Monday, August 1, on a rail coach on Hamilton Street near Gage Park at the entrance to Lawrence Road.
A video of the incident was posted on social media, showing a man hurling homophobic and transphobic slurs at two passengers.
Before exiting the bus, the man allegedly threatened the two people, police said.
A day after an appeal for information on the suspect, Hamilton police announced Wednesday that they had arrested 41-year-old Christopher Pretula.
He was charged with assault and threatening.
“The incident has been reviewed by the Hate Crime Unit and an application will be made to classify the incident as a hate crime due to the perception that the victims belong to an identified group,” police said.
Police noted that they became aware of this “hate incident” after someone from another province reported it to them through their online reporting tool.
Investigators continue to urge anyone who was a victim or witnessed what happened to contact Serge. Rebecca Moran at 905-546-5511 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or
Hamilton Police are investigating a hate incident that happened on an HSR bus in #HamOnt . It is believed to have happened on Monday, August 1, 2022, in the Gage Park area at the Lawrence Road entrance.
READ MORE:
— Hamilton Police (@HamiltonPolice) August 2, 2022
Add Comment