Ottawa police charge man for firing paintballs at symbolic flag in Kanata

The sign outside Ottawa Police headquarters on Elgin St. is seen in this undated photo. (Aaron Reid/CTV News Ottawa)

A 41-year-old man is facing hate-motivated charges after targeting a symbolic flag in Kanata earlier this month.

The suspect allegedly “repeatedly” fired paintballs at the flag displayed on a neighbour’s property between June 10 and June 17 , police said in a news release Monday.

Following an investigation by the Ottawa police’s hate and bias-motivated crime unit, the suspect was charged with two counts of harassment by threatening conduct towards another person and three counts of mischief/damage to property not exceeding $5,000.

He was released on several conditions.

Police did not identify the flag or the suspect.

Ottawa police define a hate crime as a criminal offence against a person or property motivated by hate/bias or prejudice based on race, national or ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, or other similar factors.

“The OPS treats incidents of this nature seriously and recognizes their profound impact on the community,” Ottawa police said.

“Hate crimes are extremely underreported. We encourage anyone who has experienced a hate incident to report it to us for further investigation.”

Ottawa police announced Friday that it had arrested a man on hate-motivated charges in connection to vandalism at the National Holocaust Memorial earlier this month. The suspect has been identified as a City of Ottawa lawyer.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a hate-motivated crime, please report it to the Ottawa Police Hate and Bias Crime Unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 7300 or online.

Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 or at crimestoppers.ca.

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