Hamilton police are searching for a man accused of spraying painting hate-motivated graffiti on the outside of a downtown Hamilton business. Police say the incident happened on Sept. 11 at a business in the James Street North and Murray Street West area. A timestamp on surveillance video from the business indicates it took place at around 4:10 a.m. The video shows a man dressed in a sports jersey with the number ‘99′ on it walk into the alley. He paces up and down the alleyway once, and then takes a bottle of spray paint out of his pant pocket and points it at a wall. The video stops before he starts spraying. Police say the suspect spray-painted a “Hakenkreuz, commonly known as the Nazi Swastika” on the wall. They describe the suspect as a male with a medium build and facial hair. “Hate-motivated graffiti is more than property damage—it is an attack on the dignity and safety of our community," Hamilton police said in a release issued Tuesday. “Hate will not be tolerated, and your voice matters in helping us respond.” Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hate Crime Unit at 905-546-5511, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
