'He pulled my beard': Edmonton Walmart assault investigated as hate crime

Talwinger Singh Atwal says he was attacked by a man and woman at the Walmart on Tamarack Way on August 6 after they made comments about his religious clothing and Sikh identity. The Edmonton Police Service is investigating with assistance from its hate crimes unit, though Atwal says he is not satisfied with the initial response.

Atwal, a long-haul trucker from British Columbia, recounted the encounter: after the couple passed him making derogatory remarks, he asked what they wanted. "After that, he attacked me on my neck and pushed me away," Atwal said. "And when he pushed me away and he punched me, and then suddenly on the left side, the female girl, she pushed me, and he pulled my beard."

Video circulating on social media shows the end of the altercation with Atwal on the ground and his turban partially removed from his head. Atwal believes he was racially targeted and maintains he was attacked, though police have not independently verified events leading up to the recorded moment.

When Atwal spoke to police at the scene, an officer told him, "We will see that we will charge you or him or both." Atwal said he objected: "He left. I am here. So he said, 'Well, no, we will see.'" The man and woman left before police arrived.

The World Sikh Organization of Canada echoed Atwal's concerns, urging Edmonton police to take the investigation seriously and explore whether the crime was motivated by discrimination.