April 2, 2021
RICHMOND, Canada—Police stated they were called to Rocanini Coffee Roasters on March 29, around 3:15 p.m. after receiving a call of an assault involving racial slurs, according to Global News.
Café manager Nikki—she does not want to disclose her last name—stated the incident started after the couple refused to adhere to the COVID-19 rules.
Videos of the incident have been circulating around Reddit, according to The Daily Hive.
“The male decided to make his own seating area by grabbing an outdoor patio table and chairs that were put away due to seating limits,” writes the Reddit user who posted the videos. “When a table was cleaned and available, they were invited to change seats so that the washroom was not blocked.”
“When the couple refused to move, the male deliberately emptied his mocha on the floor and decided to leave. The woman followed behind but not before throwing her mocha on the manager’s face.”
The second video captures the same couple outside of the business as they walk to their vehicle.
“What did you say? What did you say?” asks the person filming the incident.
A man in the video tells her to “let it go,” explaining that the woman he’s walking with “is not well.”
The video ends with the man making a racial slur and a comment about COVID-19 as he enters his car.
The Daily Hive confirmed with Rocanini Coffee Roasters that one of their staff members was assaulted on Monday afternoon and a police report was filed. Richmond RCMP also confirmed that they’re investigating “an alleged assault involving racial slurs.”
“The manager reported an alleged assault involving racial slurs,” reads an emailed statement from police. “Front-line officers responded quickly to the scene where they located and arrested the alleged suspect.”
Corporal Ian Henderson told The Daily Hive that “the manager was allegedly assaulted” and says that the suspect, a 74-year-old female, was arrested.
“Racism has no place in our community,” says Chief Superintendent Ng. “I want to reassure the public that any investigation with potential hate-motivated undertones will be given our full attention and oversight.”
Feature Screenshots via Global News