Alberta Mounties are hoping members of the public might have some information regarding a disturbing incident in Parkland County over the weekend.
On Oct. 16, 2022, at approximately 10 a.m., Parkland RCMP received a report of a severed pig’s head that had been left on the rainbow Pride crosswalk painted at Graminia School in Parkland County, northwest of Devon.
RCMP say the pig is believed to be a domesticated pig. Police say its head was severed with a bladed instrument and its placement in the center of the crosswalk appears to have been intentional and designed to disturb students, staff and parents.
Due to these circumstances, investigators are treating this incident as a possible hate crime targeted at the school, which has a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA).
“An unsophisticated person might think this was a prank. An objective viewer would see it as highly intolerant and provocative,” says Staff Sergeant Ian Gillan of Parkland RCMP.
Parkland RCMP are seeking any information that may assist the investigation. In particular, police are seeking the following information:
- Any suspicious activity in the area between the evening of Oct. 15, 2022, to the late morning of Oct. 16, 2022.
- Information pertaining to recently missing or mutilated pigs.
- Butchers and meat packers who recently sold, or had a pig’s head stolen, are also asked to contact Parkland RCMP.
The RCMP encourages all victims and witnesses to report any hate-motivated crime or incident to their local police of jurisdiction. Reporting hate-motivated incidents, no matter how minor they may seem, can help police better target crime prevention efforts in their communities, say RCMP. It can also help identify trends and prevent a possible escalation towards violence, Mounties point out.
If you are able to provide information regarding this incident, please contact the Parkland RCMP at 825-220-2000. If you want to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.
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