Petworth Attack
Gay man beaten by three others in possible hate crime
A gay man was physically attacked by three other men while attempting to hail a cab on Sunday, July 17, at about 10 p.m. in Petworth near the Georgia Avenue-Petworth Metro station.
The man, who asked not to be identified, suffered cuts and bruising to his face, including his left eye, and was taken to Howard University Hospital after the incident, which he says began when he was approached by a youth he describes as appearing to be 13, asking to use his cell phone.
”I just ignored him and started walking along New Hampshire Avenue,” he says. ”Then I noticed that he was following me, so I crossed to the other side of the street. After a minute or two, I realized that the kid had also crossed to the other side of the street and that there were these other two guys with him who were much older.”
The victim says the three only beat him, and stole nothing.
The victim’s friend, Jahangir Kabir, reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police Department, and later to the MPD’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU).
”I called the GLLU and reported the incident as possible hate crime based on sexual orientation,” Kabir wrote in a bulletin posted on Facebook. ”The office took my report and promised me that next business day, they will associate my hate crime report with the initial assault report that was taken at the spot, and will further investigate the crime, and provide any medical financial help needed for the victim’s treatment and recovery.”
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