Homophobic Man Arrested for Threatening to Shoot Down a Pride Flag
Suspect warned management at local shopping plaza they had three days to take down the flag before he followed through on his threat.
A Massachusetts man was arrested last week for threatening to destroy a Pride flag at a local shopping plaza.
Gage Scammell, of Weymouth, was arraigned at Hingham District Court, where he was charged with interference with civil rights, the use or presence of deadly weapons, and threatening to commit a crime.
Scammell, 29, allegedly left a message on the voicemail of the Derby Street Shoppes management office, threatening to shoot down the Pride flag displayed at the plaza’s shops with a rifle and then burn it if it wasn’t removed.
He set a deadline of three days by which management had to comply with his request before he could carry out the threat.
Management contacted Hingham police to warn them of the threat, and police launched an investigation, identifying Scammell as the caller and arresting him, reports Boston ABC affiliate WCVB.
Scammell also reportedly made “disparaging statements regarding the Jewish faith” in his voicemail, according to police.
“The Hingham Police Department supports and stand with our LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities and we will not tolerate any threats or discrimination against them,” Hingham Police Chief David Jones said in a statement. “The men and women of this agency will vigorously investigate threats against any member of our community.”
Jones added: “Hingham is a welcoming and accepting community and we will continue to work with our local stakeholders to ensure that our town is safe and inclusive for everyone.”
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey condemned the threatened violence and praised police for arresting Scammell before he could carry out his threats.
“We will not tolerate hate in Massachusetts,” the governor told LGBTQ Nation, which first reported on the arrest. “We stand with the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities in Hingham, and I’m grateful for the swift work of law enforcement to hold this individual accountable.”
“We’re disappointed to know that there are some who are so affected by the very existence of the LGBTQ+ community, that they would resort to threatening violence,” Dan Miller-Dempsey, of the LGBTQ group Hingham Pride Project, told LGBTQ Nation. “We’re thankful and proud that the Hingham Pride Project has succeeded in creating an environment in Hingham that is overwhelmingly supportive of our community. We thank the Hingham Police Department and Chief David Jones for their unwavering support of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Miller-Dempsey says the threat to vandalize the Pride flag at the shopping plaza comes amid a campaign by Hingham Pride Project to distribute free Pride flags for town residents to display each June to celebrate Pride Month.
He estimates that last year, about 4,000 Pride flags were flown at various places throughout the small town, which only boasts about 20,000 residents.
“Our dream is for a sea of Pride flags to be displayed over the month of June in Hingham,” reads an announcement from the group, “and for everyone who wants to show their support to be able to do so, at no cost to them.”
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