Metro Weekly

NYPD seeks man who yelled anti-gay slur, pulled knife on man in Chelsea

Hate crime detectives have released a photo of the man who allegedly threatened a man for bumping into him outside a UPS store.

The suspect accused of menacing a man with a knife while yelling an anti-gay slur – Photo: NYPD Crime Stoppers

New York hate crime detectives are searching for a man who allegedly menaced another man with a knife and yelled a homophobic slur at the victim after the two accidentally bumped into each other.

The incident occurred around 4:25 p.m. on Nov. 20 in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, outside the UPS Store near the corner of West 23rd Street and 6th Avenue. 

Police say the suspect bumped into a 54-year-old man who was leaving the store, and took offense. He reportedly asked the victim, “What’s your problem?” The 54-year-old replied with: “Was that necessary?”

As the victim walked away, the suspect followed him, pulled out a knife and yelled, “Don’t mess with me, f****t.” He later fled the scene. The victim was not injured in the altercation.

The victim later reported the incident to the 13th Precinct, which referred the matter to the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, according to The Villager, a Manhattan-based newspaper.

On Dec. 1, detectives released surveillance footage of the primary suspect in the case, who is seen wearing what looks like a black leather jacket, black pants, black sneakers, and a black knit cap. The man has a mustache and beard in the photo.

Anyone with information regarding the suspect is being asked to call NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-TIPS (888-57-PISTA in Spanish), or submit tips online via the Crime Stoppers website or by tweeting to @NYPDTips. All calls and messages will be kept confidential.

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