Police are seeking assistance from the public after a man in Calgary's Valley Ridge community was threatened and subjected to a racial slur.

Around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a man was walking from his vehicle to his home, located in the 100 block of Valley Crest Close N.W.

A grey Nissan Altima pulled up next to the man, and the passenger in the vehicle threw garbage at him and yelled a racial slur at him.

The passenger then showed the man what appeared to be a handgun before the vehicle drove away.

Const. Craig Collins with the Calgary police hate crimes unit said incidents where people are targeted due to their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation are very concerning.

"The fact that a firearm may have been used to further intimidate this man makes this case even more serious," Collins said in a statement.

The man who was threatened said there were three suspects in the vehicle, all believed to be Caucasian.

The passenger who brandished the weapon is described as having a medium build and short hair.

Police said that hate-motivated crimes are those where the offender was motivated by bias, prejudice and hate.

If a person is found guilty of a crime, hate motivation is considered by the courts and can be an aggravating factor during sentencing.

Anyone with information or security footage is asked to contact the police non-emergency line at 403-266-1234, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.