B.C. man charged following racist tirade in viral video
Police in B.C. are looking for a man facing four charges connected to "racist and disturbing remarks," made in a video that circulated online last week.
Karry Vernon Corbett, 47, of Hope, B.C. — a small community 150 kilometres east of Vancouver — was charged Saturday morning with four counts including assault, uttering threats, and causing a disturbance.
The video was recorded on Oct. 21 when a witness saw a man yelling at a 72-year-old parking enforcement officer in downtown Abbotsford.
"The suspect then focused his anger and attention on that witness and went on a tirade that included many racist and disturbing remarks," said Abbotsford police.
The video was circulated widely, and police quickly identified Corbett, who has a long criminal record, said Const. Ian MacDonald.
Not charged with hate crime
But despite the racist remarks, which included many slurs and the phrase "white power," Corbett has not been charged with a hate crime, said MacDonald.
"To get a charge, we would have to prove that he is either producing hate-based materials … or that he is trying to incite others to join his hatred," said the officer.
"We couldn't get evidence that he was trying to get others to join in his hatred, and that's where we hit a stumbling block."
Court documents show Corbett has a criminal record dating back to 1999, including past convictions for assault, theft and causing a disturbance.
He is also facing charges of assault with a weapon and uttering threats for two incidents in 2015 that are still before the courts.
Police in Abbotsford and Hope are looking for Corbett. Anyone with information on his location is asked to contact their local police department.
