Man charged in Vancouver attack on Asian senior

A charge has been laid in an alleged attack on a Vancouver senior with dementia after police said they were investigating a hate crime.

A statement from Vancouver police says 50-year-old Jamie Bezanson has been charged with one count of assault and is scheduled to appear in provincial court on Aug. 10.

An investigation began in March after a 92-year-old man of Asian origin was physically pushed out the door of an East Vancouver convenience store.

Video of the incident released by police showed the man falling and hitting his head, although he was not severely hurt.

Staff in the store reported they were trying to assist the victim when another man allegedly began yelling racist remarks, including comments about COVID-19, before pushing the senior out the door.

Police say they have identified 155 hate-associated reports so far this year, up from 69 over the same period last year, and 35 of the cases have been classified as potential hate crimes.