Metro Weekly

NYPD Searching for Two Male Assailants in Anti-Gay Attack

Suspects allegedly hurled anti-gay slurs at a man, and then assaulted him as he stood outside an apartment building.

The suspects in the anti-gay attack in Greenwich Village – Photo: NYPD Crime Stoppers.

New York City police are asking the public’s help in identifying two men involved in an anti-gay assault in the city’s Greenwich Village neighborhood earlier this week. 

The two were part of a group that accosted a 27-year-old man around 3:25 a.m. on June 19, as he stood in front of an apartment building near the intersection of 7th Avenue and West 12th Street.

Police say the two men uttered anti-gay slurs at the victim, and then proceeded to punch him multiple times in the face and body. They then fled in an unknown direction.

The victim suffered minor injuries in the attack, but did not require medical attention, according to police.

The incident was reported to NYPD’s 6th Precinct, who later referred the case to NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force for further investigation. 

On Thursday, the NYPD released images of the suspect inside a local eatery. 

According to NYPD data, there were eight hate crimes focused on sexual orientation last month, the same number as reported in May 2021, reports The Villager, a sister publication of AM New York Metro. Last year, there were 71 assaults committed against men who were attacked because of their real or perceived sexual orientation that were eventually classified as hate or bias-motivated crimes. 

Anyone with information on the identities of the two suspects, or their whereabouts, is being asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (or 1-888-57-PISTA, for Spanish speakers). Tips can also be submitted online through the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or via Twitter by messaging @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.

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