Toronto police say they are treating two incidents in the city targeting Jews last week as hate-motivated.
The first occurred in a downtown park on July 6 at around 8 a.m. Police responded to a call about a disorderly person at Stanley Park near King Street West and Walnut Avenue.
According to police, a man with a non-permanent drawing of a swastika on his chest was yelling antisemitic slurs towards a person.
A video released by UJA Federation of Greater Toronto Wednesday captured part of the incident.
Police said the man also threw a marker at one person.
A suspect was arrested nearby and has since been charged with interfering with the use and enjoyment of a park by others and using profane/abusive language in a park, as well as assault with a weapon.
Police responded to another incident several days later on July 10 at around 10:30 a.m. in the Yonge Street and Glen Elm Avenue area, north of St. Clair Avenue.
A 33-year-old man was walking south on Yonge Street when a man walking north showed him a non-permanent drawing of a swastika on his chest, police said.
“The man was then heard yelling anti-Semitic slurs towards a group of people,” police said in a statement.
The victim confronted the man about his language and was then punched several times, police said.
Part of the incident was also captured in a separate video shared by UJA Wednesday.
He was found a short distance away by officers and has subsequently been charged with assault in connection with that incident.
Police have identified the suspect as 32-year-old Michael Park of Toronto and say he is believed to be responsible for both incidents.
“After consultation with the Service's specialized Hate Crime Unit, both investigations are being treated as hate motivated,” Toronto police said in a statement Thursday.
Police also released a photo of Park Thursday.
He was scheduled to make a court appearance via video link on July 15.
