City of Ottawa employee charged after National Holocaust Monument vandalized, mayor says
A City of Ottawa employee currently on leave has been charged in connection to vandalism at the National Holocaust Monument earlier this month, according to Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.
Red paint was discovered on the monument just west of downtown Ottawa on June 9. A photo sent to CTV News Ottawa showed the words 'Feed Me' painted in large red letters on the monument.
The Ottawa Police Service announced Friday a 46-year-old man was charged with mischief to a war memorial, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct. The name of the suspect was not released.
In a post on social media Saturday evening, Sutcliffe said the suspect is a city employee.
'While it's encouraging to see that the police investigation into the incident at the National Holocaust Monument has progressed, I'm very disturbed to learn that the person charged is a city employee who was on leave,' Sutcliffe said.
'As a community and as an employer, the actions at the Monument do not represent our values. I've asked city officials to take all appropriate action in light of these developments.'
The suspect was scheduled to appear in court on Saturday.
The Ottawa Police Service says anyone with information is asked to contact investigators with the Hate and Bias Crime Unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5625.
'The OPS treats incidents of this nature seriously and recognizes their profound impact on the community,' police said in a media release on Friday.
'We encourage anyone who witnesses or experiences such incidents to report them to police. Reporting hate-motivated incidents is an important step in stopping cycles of hatred.'
According to the National Holocaust Monument website, the monument in Ottawa commemorates the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust, and the millions of other victims of Nazi Germany and its collaborators.
The monument was inaugurated by former prime minister Justin Trudeau in September 2017.
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