Threats still crimes, RCMP say after man making racial slurs becomes online target

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Editor’s Note: This article and video posted below contain offensive language
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — After a young man was caught on videos making racist comments, Mounties are reminding people they have the right to be outraged, but making threats is a crime.

“People who are depicted in this video now have also themselves been subject to threats and intimidation as a result of the video being online. People have had enough with hearing this type of thing,” says Cpl. Elenore Sturko of Surrey RCMP.
But she says she understands why people are angry after seeing the video.

“We are in an atmosphere and climate today where people have had enough, but I want to caution everyone out there, please don’t resort to things that will, in turn, cause you to be in trouble,” she explains. “There is an opportunity to help facilitate people to work through the conflict that they have and hopefully come to a peaceful and satisfying resolution.”

The video was initially posted on Facebook last month and shows the young man hurling racial slurs at a neighbour sitting in a vehicle in Surrey.

Kayl Riddoch, the man shown in the video, calls his neighbour “Paki” and “brownie” over what Sturko says started as a traffic dispute. She says the video had been taken down, but it has since been reposted on other social media platforms.

She adds no charges have been approved against the young man after the video was reviewed.

“We are limited in terms of our ability to pursue charges on things where they don’t meet a specific threshold, for example, for a hate crime.”

However, investigators are now looking at threats made by people sharing copies of the video online.

“There is some criminality involved with the types of threats, so people need to realize –whether or not it is a crime that they’re committing in the things that they say– there are consequences and, unfortunately, for the person involved in this video, they’re feeling the brunt of those consequences now,” Sturko says.

She says charges may now be recommended after police go through numerous posts shared on social media by people not aware their comments qualify as criminal behaviour.

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