Greater Sudbury Police Service (GSPS) has released images of the person responsible for the vandalism of the progressive Pride flag crosswalk on Minto Street in the city’s downtown core last weekend.
The person in this photo was captured on video surveillance throwing a can of white paint on the progressive Pride crosswalk on Minto Street in Greater Sudbury, Ont., on August 3, 2024. Investigators are requesting the public’s assistance to identify them. (Supplied/Greater Sudbury Police Service)
Investigators are requesting the public’s assistance to identify them.
At 6 a.m. on Aug. 3, the male suspect, in the photos captured on video surveillance that the police provided, threw a can of white paint on the Pride crosswalk that was painted as part of the launch of Sudbury’s Pride Week in July.
GSPS in collaboration with city staff obtained and reviewed security video surveillance footage of the incident.
Police are treating the defacement of a progressive Pride mural in Sudbury as a hate crime. (Ian Campbell/CTV News Northern Ontario)
The incident has been assigned to the police service’s hate crime investigators in its criminal investigation division and the incident is being investigated as a hate-motivated crime.
The person in this photo was captured on video surveillance throwing a can of white paint on the progressive Pride crosswalk on Minto Street in Greater Sudbury, Ont., on August 3, 2024. Investigators are requesting the public’s assistance to identify them. (Supplied/Greater Sudbury Police Service)
“Hate or bias-motivated crimes and incidents have an impact extending far beyond the physical and emotional trauma to the individual(s) involved,” said police officials in a news release late Friday.
“Communities are also affected. These crimes often heighten the isolation and vulnerability of diverse communities and can cause undue stress for all members of the community.”
Police officials said that hate-motivated crimes and incidents are underreported and they are working hard to change that.
“We take reports of hate-motivated crimes and incidents very seriously and we recognize the impact and pain felt by community members when there is evidence of hatred,” said police.
“We want to assure the community that we are committed to investigating these situations thoroughly.”
The person in this photo was captured on video surveillance throwing a can of white paint on the progressive Pride crosswalk on Minto Street in Greater Sudbury, Ont., on August 3, 2024. Investigators are requesting the public’s assistance to identify them. (Supplied/Greater Sudbury Police Service)
Anyone with information related to the incident or the identity of the individual shown in the photos is asked to contact Sudbury police at 705-675-9171 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
The person in this photo was captured on video surveillance throwing a can of white paint on the progressive Pride crosswalk on Minto Street in Greater Sudbury, Ont., on August 3, 2024. Investigators are requesting the public’s assistance to identify them. (Supplied/Greater Sudbury Police Service)
With files from CTVNorthernOntario.ca journalist Ian Campbell
