No charges in racist tirade at Richmond drive-thru, RCMP say
Police say incident was resolved through 'alternative measures' agreed upon by suspect and victim
A suspect accused of launching into a racist tirade outside a fast-food restaurant in Richmond, B.C., earlier this month will not be criminally charged after a resolution was reached with the victim, according to RCMP.
Police said they located the suspect, whose name was not released, on May 14 after appealing to the public for help. A man had been caught on video walking through the drive-thru of a Burger King on May 1, shouting racial slurs at people in their cars.
A statement confirmed RCMP found the suspect but would not be recommending charges as the matter had been settled on Wednesday through alternative measures.
"Hate-incident investigations can be very complex, and video evidence, although often very compelling, does not always speak to the totality of the situation," read an email from Cpl. Ian Henderson on Thursday.
"Richmond RCMP would again like to thank the media and members of the general public who helped to identify the suspect in this matter. With your help, our officers were able to complete a fulsome investigation.
"Ultimately, by collaborating with both the victim and the suspect, they were able to arrive at an alternative to criminal charges that, hopefully, will prevent this situation from reoccurring."
Henderson said he could not confirm which alternative measure was taken due to privacy concerns, but said both the accused and the victim agreed on what was chosen.
Alternative measures allow for a resolution outside of the courts. Programs can be used in cases involving less serious offences, according to the province.
The programs usually involve offenders who don't have a criminal history. The accused is given an opportunity to accept responsibility for the crime and make amends to the community, without going to court.
Three videos of the incident posted to Reddit captured a man walking and yelling in the drive-thru, removing a blue face mask to yell at the person behind the camera. He was also accused of making threats, police had said.