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The man who was allegedly involved in a racist incident at a Lasalle Boulevard convenience store on Saturday can be heard calling the other customer involved 18 times in video of the incident circulating online.

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In the video, which was taken by the alleged victim, Tamba Baba, the man can be heard arguing with the employee over the scanning of his items.

When the argument between the two men becomes more intense, Baba intervenes and says, “He is doing all he can. I think you should be a little nicer.

In response, the man directs his frustration at her. “I think you should shut up and mind your own business.”

The two-part video is just over three minutes long and was originally posted on Instagram by Baba, before being taken down.

Although the video clearly shows the man’s face several times, he has yet to be publicly identified by authorities, despite rumors of his identity on social media.

Throughout the video, the two engage in a heated back and forth, where the man repeatedly calls Baba racial slurs, including calling him the N-word at least 18 times and saying of “Shut your black mouth”, among others. insults.

During the argument, Baba said to the man, “You must be f—king nice” and “I don’t care if you work 12 hours. Don’t talk to (the employee) like that.

In response to his repeated racial comments, she said, “Don’t ever be f—king racist to me again,” to which the man replied, “F—k you, you f—king (N-word). No one acts like an (N-word) except you.

The argument then moves outside, as Baba demands the man out of the store and threatens to call the police.

“Call the cops, bitch,” the man said. “You’re the one stalking me.”

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The rest of the video includes a few bystanders getting involved as the man walks away, continuing to hurl racial slurs at Baba.

“Do you know what an (N-word) is?” he said at one point. “He’s not a black person. A black person is a kind and respectful person. Someone who acts like an (N-word) is someone who starts randomly stumbling around a store.

In comments to CTV, Baba said she tried to be polite and first, but admits the comments and insults made her angry, causing her to get physical at first.

In her original Instagram post, she wrote: “He wanted to get physical with me (and) tried to push me, so I slapped him and dragged his body to the floor, where I punched him again “, she said. “I totally agree that violence is not the answer, but (that) night was. The words didn’t cross his mind so yes, I hit him.

According to reports, the altercation ended when Baba hit the ground first, resulting in a chipped tooth, scratches and a bloody lip.

In a statement, Black Lives Matter Sudbury condemned the attack, adding that they are in contact with Baba and are providing him with resources and support.

“Despite the fact that a single individual perpetrated this act, we know this is not an isolated incident,” they wrote. “While Sudbury attempts to pride itself on being an inclusive, safe and friendly community, the population (Black, Indigenous and of Colour) and in particular members of the Black community continue to face attacks of this nature on a regular and without hesitation.

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They added: ‘We condemn any suggestion that the victim incited violence to themselves by speaking up for another person… or by opposing hateful slurs.’

Although the police were contacted, officials from the organization said they felt not enough was being done to remedy the situation.

According to Baba’s earlier comments, officers who contacted her after the incident told her to drop her complaint, warning her that she could be charged because she was physical first.

“Even when incidents escalate into violence…police are not looking for black bodies,” BLM Sudbury said. “This is nothing new to us, and we can’t stress enough the importance of community care and mutual safety.”

Following initial reports of the incident, Greater Sudbury Police issued a statement on social media stating, “We take reports of hate crimes and hate-motivated incidents very seriously.

He then added: “We urge members of the community to refrain from attempting to identify and/or contact anyone believed to be involved in this incident. People not involved in the incident are being harassed/threatened due to incorrect information circulating on social media.

According to Kaitlyn Dunn, communications coordinator for the police, the individual involved has been identified and the investigation is ongoing. No arrests were reported.

She added that between January 1 and May 31 of this year, Sudbury police responded to eight reported incidents of hate bias/hate motivation.

In response to concerns raised over the years about the police’s handling of racist incidents, Dunn said they “continue to work with our internal members, community members and community partners to build trust in the public through transparency and community engagement through education and awareness.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing. None of these allegations have been tested in court.

The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible by funding from the federal government.

mjensen@postmedia.com

Twitter: @mia_rjensen