Randall Byron Publicover, 37, faces multiple criminal charges — including public incitement of hatred, assault, and four counts of uttering threats — after a video of him launching a racist, Islamophobic tirade at two hijab-wearing women inside a Halifax Costco went viral. He was arrested Thursday, July 9, following a tense standoff at a residence in Port Dufferin, Nova Scotia, and is due in Halifax Provincial Court on July 10.
A 37-year-old man has been arrested and charged following a widely circulated, hate-motivated incident at a Costco in Halifax’s Bayers Lake business district. Randall Byron Publicover is scheduled to appear in Halifax Provincial Court on July 10 to face a lengthy list of criminal charges stemming from the confrontation and his subsequent arrest.
The Costco Confrontation
The investigation began after a bystander recorded Publicover launching a profanity-laden, racist tirade inside the retail store. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) later identified the incident as a racist and Islamophobic attack directed at two Muslim women wearing hijabs.
In footage that circulated across the country, the suspect can be heard shouting at the women to “get out of our country” while repeatedly threatening to kill those he targeted. The video also appears to capture him striking the bystander who was recording the encounter.
A High-Risk Arrest in Port Dufferin
After police made a public appeal for information, Halifax Regional Police and the RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment tracked the suspect down on Thursday afternoon, July 9, at a residence in Port Dufferin, Nova Scotia.
The arrest quickly escalated when the suspect brandished a weapon at responding officers. Police deployed a conductive energy weapon — commonly known as a taser — to safely subdue him. He was treated at the scene by Emergency Health Services and medically cleared shortly afterward.
The Charges
Publicover faces a substantial list of criminal charges connected to both the Costco incident and his arrest:
- Public incitement of hatred
- Assault
- Uttering threats to cause bodily harm or death (4 counts)
- Mischief (2 counts)
- Resisting a peace officer
- Possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace
How the Community Responded
Fayez Hamam, the bystander who recorded the video and called 911, said he was deeply shocked and angered by what he witnessed. Hamam, who has lived in Halifax for nearly two decades, said he had never seen anything like it in the community before.
Following news of Publicover’s arrest, the NCCM released a statement expressing relief and thanking Halifax Regional Police for their swift handling of the case.
Halifax Regional Police also thanked the public for helping identify the suspect, emphasizing that hate-motivated incidents are treated with the utmost seriousness. Officials continue to encourage residents to report any threatening, offensive, or intimidating behavior, noting that documenting such incidents remains valuable even when they don’t ultimately meet the threshold for criminal charges.
The investigation remains ongoing.
