Calgary police say a man has been charged following a series of random assaults in the city’s southwest. Officers say a man approached them during a proactive deployment at the Somerset-Bridlewood CTrain station with visible facial injuries. He told police an unknown suspect had aggressively confronted a woman on the platform, shouting racial slurs before striking her in the face. Police say the man intervened and was then assaulted by the suspect before he fled eastbound along the platform. Investigators say the suspect was located a short time later and prevented from re-entering the CTrain system. The victim suffered minor injuries, according to police. Steepan Surane, 38, is charged with one count of assault and one count of obstructing a peace officer. Police say he was also arrested on 11 outstanding warrants. He is scheduled to appear in court on Friday. Police say they are investigating whether hate motivation was a factor in the assault. “This incident is deeply concerning and has no place in our community. Everyone deserves to feel safe using public transit and going about their daily lives without fear of violence or hate,” said District 8 Insp. Darry Midtdal. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or submit tips anonymously to Crime Stoppers.
