Brooklyn man punches gay man in the head on J train: 'I'm not into that gay s**t'
Authorities revealed on Friday, September 3, how a 23-year-old man was assaulted during an unprovoked homophobic hate crime. An investigation is reportedly underway but the suspect is still at large.
There has been an alarming rise in hate crimes across the United States. In an incident last May, a Sikh man was beaten with a hammer at a Brooklyn hotel, prompting a call to action from local residents who labeled it a "hate crime." In June this year, Nathaniel Veltman, a 20-year-old pickup truck driver, mowed down a Muslim family of 4 in a purported 'hate crime' in Ontario, Canada. The following month, Boston man Khaled Awad was been arraigned on assault charges after he brutally stabbed a rabbi on July 1.
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On Thursday night, August 26, a civilian was riding a north-bound J train heading to Broadway Junction station around 11.30 pm when the suspect accosted him out of the blue. “I’m not into that gay s---!” the man reportedly screamed. “F-----!”
Police said the suspect was wearing a “Boyz N The Hood” T-shirt and repeatedly punched the victim in the head. According to the New York Daily News, the victim also sustained a bruise to his lip, but refused medical attention when he got off the locomotive at Broadway Junction.
The attacker reportedly remained on the train and remains at large. No arrests had been made at the time of writing, but an investigation by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is underway.
Authorities released an iPhone photo of the suspect on Friday, captured by a witness in the hopes that he is identified. If you or anyone you know may have information about his whereabouts, you are urged to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. Tipsters can remain anonymous and calls will be kept confidential, police said.
In July, MEAWW reported how Sina Rezaie, a New York City-based doctor, was called a 'f****t' and beaten up in a 'hate crime' that broke his jaw. Rezaie was heading home from the Greenwich Village subway station when he was accosted by a man who screamed a homophobic insult at him. Rezaie said that his jaw was fractured in two places when the suspect struck him from behind.
"He called me a f****t and then half a block later, he came from behind and kicked and punched me multiple times," Rezaie said speaking to NBC New York from his hospital bed. Witnesses said Rezaie stumbled to a neighboring pub for assistance after collapsing. Friends of Rezaie who were at work at the time did everything they could to aid him before authorities arrived at the scene. A GoFundme campaign successfully raised funds to cover his medical expenses.
In February, MEAWW reported how an employee belonging to the popular food chain restaurant KFC was reportedly fired after allegedly hurling homophobic slurs against a gay couple in Illinois. The employee was identified as Payton Burke by KHQA.
The couple — Joshua Garner and his partner Lee Walls — were reportedly at the outlet to pick up an order for a DoorDash customer at the drive-through of KFC, in Springfield. They were traveling with Garner's younger brother. The meal that the DoorDash customer had requested was unavailable when Garner and Walls had arrived at the drive-thru, and so they had called the customer to ask if there was something else that could be ordered.
The employee at this time asked, "Is there a problem?" and in response, Walls had held his hand up to indicate he needed a moment as he was on a call. The employee then responded, "Hold on I know this mother****er did not just put his hand up at me." The angry employee began to attack them verbally and captured on a video recorded and shared by Garner on Facebook. The footage showed how the man called the couple “queers” and “f***s”.
Days later, KFC said that they had apologized to the couple who were abused by their employee and also confirmed that Burke had been fired from their franchise.