A Grade 11 Sikh student who recently arrived in Canada was attacked and bear sprayed in Kelowna on Monday afternoon, leading to calls for justice by the World Sikh Organization.
Police have been investigating after officers were called to the intersection of Rutland Road South and Robson Road East just before 4 p.m. Monday after the 17-year-old student was bear sprayed after leaving a bus.
“Just prior to the bear spray incident, there was an altercation on the bus resulting in those involved being directed off of the bus,” Cpl. Michael Gauthier of the Kelowna RCMP said in a press release.
“After exiting the bus, a second incident occurred where the suspect male deployed bear spray on the victim.”
Officers have spoken to several witnesses and police believe they have identified the teenage suspect in the case.
In a press release issued Wednesday, the World Sikh Organization says the incident started as the teenager was first waiting at a bus stop.
"Two individuals approached the student and first barred his entry onto the bus and then, once allowing him to board, began to threaten him with a lighter and photograph and record him from a close distance with their phones," the WSO says.
"When the Sikh student turned away, the attackers’ phone fell from their hands and they began to kick and punch the Sikh student in front of the bus driver. The bus driver did not intervene and in fact, ordered the Sikh student and his attackers off the bus at the Rutland and Robson stop.
"After deboarding the bus, the Sikh student was pepper sprayed by his attackers and they continued to attack him, until bystanders intervened."
The 17-year-old victim had only recently arrived in Canada, and the WSO says he "did not understand why he was attacked or the slurs and insults that were shouted at him during the incident."
While Cpl. Gauthier highlighted that the victim is Sikh, police have not said at this time if they believe the incident was racially motivated.
“Investigators are still collecting CCTV evidence and other relevant information including taking steps to determine the motivation of this crime,” said Cpl. Gauthier.
Guntaas Kaur, WSO Vice President for B.C., called the attack "shocking and unacceptable."
"What is incredibly disappointing is that the BC Transit bus driver did not intervene and in fact removed both the attackers and the victim from the bus, leaving the Sikh student to fend for himself," Kaur said.
"The Sikh high school student is recovering from his injuries and from the pepper spray but cannot understand why he was assaulted. He is afraid to return to school for fear of being attacked again. This is unfortunately the second attack on a Sikh student in Kelowna this year."
Earlier this year, a 21-year-old Sikh student was attacked in Kelowna after getting off a bus near Highway 97 and McCurdy Road, leading to an investigation by the BC Hate Crimes Team.
Kaur and the WSO are calling on the RCMP to "bring the attackers to justice." The organization is also asking BC Transit to investigate why the bus driver in the incident did not intervene in the attack.
