Halifax police arrest suspect after racist tirade at Costco goes viral

A man is facing charges after allegedly assaulting someone during a racist and Islamophobic tirade at a Halifax Costco store over the weekend. Halifax Regional Police arrested Randall Byron Publicover, 37, on Thursday afternoon at a home in Port Dufferin, Nova Scotia.

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During the arrest, the man brandished a weapon and officers deployed a conductive energy weapon.

During the arrest, police reported that the man brandished a weapon, prompting officers to deploy a conductive energy weapon. He was treated on scene by emergency health services and medically cleared before being taken into custody. The incident began on Saturday when a suspect was recorded yelling a profanity-laden tirade at the store in the Bayers Lake business district.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) described the event as a "racist and Islamophobic attack" targeting two Muslim women wearing hijabs. In the widely shared video, the man can be heard telling people to "get out of our country" and repeatedly threatening to kill "every one of you." He also appears to strike the person recording the video.

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He was treated on scene by EHS and medically cleared.

Fayez Hamam, who recorded the footage, told Global News he was shocked and angered, stating it was the first time he had witnessed such an incident in his nearly 20 years in Halifax. Hamam had called 911 and filed a police report. Halifax Regional Police's Hate Crime Unit was involved in the investigation, releasing images of the suspect from the video to aid in identification.

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get out of our country

Publicover is scheduled to appear in Halifax Provincial Court on Friday to face charges including public incitement of hatred, assault, uttering threats to cause bodily harm or death (four counts), mischief (two counts), resisting a peace officer, and possession of a weapon dangerous to public peace. Police thanked the public for their assistance in identifying the suspect, emphasizing that hate-motivated crimes are taken very seriously and encouraging anyone experiencing offensive, threatening, or intimidating behavior to report it.

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threatens multiple times to kill “every one of you.”