Man Arrested For Spitting, Yelling Racial Slur On Woman, Incident Caught On Video

Police in Calgary have arrested a man Sunday, July 19, after he was caught on video spitting on an Asian woman and yelled a racial slur at her.

27-year-old Jessica Lau was enjoying a typical Saturday night with her boyfriend, Braeden Riehl on a park path in Inglewood. Lau was longboarding while Reighl, a photographer based in the city, was filming her from behind.

While the couple was approaching a bend, a biker suddenly appeared. The man, who was at the time shirtless, then spat on Lau as he passed by the couple.

Adding insult to injury, the man also called Lau a “stupid ch-nk,” the National Post reported.

Reighl, who posted the video on his Instagram page, said that the man also did the same gross act to a Caucasian couple behind them.

Twitter and Instagram posts by the University of Calgary later identified the man who spat at Lau as Justin Williams, a former U of C Dinos men's basketball team manager.

“We strongly condemn the actions in this video and join the community in extending our support to victims Jessica and her boyfriend,” said the University, adding that Williams has not been an employee of the school since February.

His past social media comments were reported to CPS by our staff, said the statement.

The Calgary Police Service (CPS) confirmed late Monday three assault charges filed against Williams. He also allegedly threatened a witness with a weapon, according to MSN.

“During the incident, the offender, while unprovoked, allegedly spat on at least three separate individuals and used racial slurs,” police said in a statement.

The CPS also said that others have come forward since and more charges could be filed against Williams as the investigation continues.

Sergeant Jim Dalidowicz on the other hand told the Calgary Herald that it's “too soon to say” that what Williams did could be labeled as hate crime, but it could be a possible case of aggravated assault due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The biggest thing for me right now is just to make sure he doesn't have a chance to do this to anyone else. I didn't take it personally. I know he's ill inside and that he needs help. The fact that I do know that he's going to pay for his actions really puts my mind at rest and I hope it helps everyone else as well,” Lau said via her Instagram page, according to the outlet.