A young Black man in Victoria was the victim of a random assault on a BC Transit bus last month.
In a statement on Wednesday, Victoria Police says they are investigating this incident as potential hate crime.
Officers were flagged down by two men in the 1100-block of Johnson Street at around 4 p.m. on June 19.
One of the men reported that he had been hit by a man he did not know while on a BC Transit bus, and was suffering from non-life threatening injuries as a result.
Upon investigation, officers learned that a video on board the bus in question had captured the incident.
In the video, the victim is seen entering the bus and heading towards a seat when the suspect stands up and strikes the victim without warning.
Other passengers on the bus are then seen intervening and the suspect is pushed off the bus.
Police describe the suspect as Caucasian man, about 40-50 years old, with a medium to heavy build, and blond hair.
At the time of the incident, he was wearing sunglasses, a black hat with a logo on it, a blue shirt with a logo on it, tan shorts, white socks, and black sneakers.
Officers are now seeking public assistance in their efforts to identify the suspect, and further investigate the incident before determining potential charges.
Anyone who recognizes him from the images above is asked to contact VicPD at (250) 995-7654, and select option 1 for the report desk. To report what you know anonymously, call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
