Metro Weekly

NYPD still searching for suspect in Chelsea anti-gay assault

The disabled 44-year old victim was attacked by a man on a bike in broad daylight on June 26

Security footage of the suspect in Chelsea anti-gay beating – Photo: New York Police Department.

New York City police are still searching for a man accused of punching a disabled man with a pro-LGBTQ sticker on his walker in the city’s Chelsea neighborhood, which is home to a substantial LGBTQ population.

The 44-year-old victim was waiting for a bus near West 27th Street and Sixth Avenue around 4 p.m. on June 26 when the suspect allegedly approached him and yelled homophobic slurs at the man. The man then punched the victim several times before fleeing on his bike, reports DNAInfo New York.

The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital and treated for abrasions to his face.

The suspect was last seen wearing a black baseball hat, red T-shirt, dark jeans, white sneakers and a dark backpack.

The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident, according to police.

But despite the time since the attack, and the release of a photo of the man in question, police have not yet been able to locate the man, and are asking for the public’s help.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at nypdcrimestoppers.com.

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