Surrey RCMP Corporal Elenore Sturko says police 害羞草研究所渄on害羞草研究所檛 have enough evidence害羞草研究所� to support an assault charge in connection with an argument between a group of elderly women and other park goers that occurred at Aspen Park in Newton on July 28 that has gone viral with allegations of racism.
Still, an investigation continues. 害羞草研究所淲e have done a neighbourhood canvass to see if there is any other video, surveillance video available,害羞草研究所� Sturko said. 害羞草研究所淥f course responses change based on revolving information.害羞草研究所�
Sturko said a 害羞草研究所渢hird party害羞草研究所� called police about a disturbance at the park but no allegations of racism had originally been reported to police. 害羞草研究所淚t came in as a disturbance with a group of 20-something year old men shouting at a group of elderly South Asian woman. When officer got there, there was no group of young men.
Sergeant Elenore Sturko
害羞草研究所淗e found there was a woman there and another man who were in a dispute over garbage with the group of South Asian women and their grandkids. He determined that some garbage was thrown in the general direction of the women and no assault had taken place, he confirmed that at the time.害羞草研究所�
Sturko said the officer spoke to the woman who allegedly threw the garbage onto the ground, and the woman then left the park. 害羞草研究所淭he officer started cleaning up the garbage and invited the young kids that were also there to assist if they wanted to,害羞草研究所� and then concluded the file. Several days later, a social media post, posted on Instagram by a third party who Sturko said was not there at the time of the incident.
After , RCMP decided to assign a couple of officers to 害羞草研究所渕ake contact if they could害羞草研究所� with all involved and are continuing to investigate. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 believed that it actually was a dispute that started to emerge over a few different encounters.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淪ome of the information that we got from social media may not be accurate,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淗owever, what can be seen was that there was some racialized language being used in that disturbance and that害羞草研究所檚 obviously concerning and so it害羞草研究所檚 something that we have been speaking about with all the parties that were involved and certainly don害羞草研究所檛 condone any of that activity.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淪ome of the allegations that were made on the social media post were not substantiated with the interviews that we did,害羞草研究所� Sturko added. 害羞草研究所淭here was allegations on there that people had dog excrement thrown at them and on them, and french fries in their faces and stuff like that but none of the women who were part of the group, they did not provide that as part of their statement.害羞草研究所�
Sturko expressed surprise upon learning of news reports Monday that indicated the couple subsequently offered an apology through the RCMP.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know where they get their information because that害羞草研究所檚 not a question they asked me,害羞草研究所� she said.
Meantime, Imtiaz Popat, co-founder of the Coalition Against Bigotry-Pacific, issued a press release Aug. 3 titled 害羞草研究所淪urrey RCMP is Part of the Racist Problem.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淪urrey RCMP dismissed the racist attack over the weekend and Aspen Park and blamed the South Asian grandmothers for littering and forced them to pick up garbage that was thrown at them by racists,害羞草研究所� Popat claimed.
Sturko replied that is incorrect. 害羞草研究所淣o one was forced, I think it害羞草研究所檚 important to note that the officer was trying to defuse a situation, a neighbourhood dispute. He was unaware of the racialized comments at that time.害羞草研究所�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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