Naked Cyclists Attacked In Alleged Hate Crime
Several naked cyclists were attacked in Portland, Oregon, in what authorities are calling a hate crime.
Nine naked cyclists were attacked on Saturday, June 3, by a pipe-wielding assailant in the Nob Hill neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.
The assailant, 39-year-old Robert E. Houchins, hit two cyclists in the back, yelling, “Get out of here,” followed by homophobic slurs.
The severity of the injuries of the two cyclists is unknown. One of the two identifies as gay.
Houchin appeared to take “baseball-like” swings with a 3-foot metal pipe at the riders, the probable cause affidavit states.
“Police arrested Houchins near the crime scene and noted he still had the pipe with him,” KGW reported.
Houchins was taken into custody soon after. He faces second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, and first-degree bias — or hate — crime charges.
The cyclists were likely affiliated with the Buck Moon Naked ride that was scheduled for the night of the attack. The ride was part of Portland’s Pedalpalooza, a summer-long bike-oriented festival.
This ride was a protest against “chemical trials riding through [the] city,” the event description states.
Houchin has no known address and a record of at least 28 convictions, “including aggravated sex abuse, arson, and theft,” KPTV-KPDX reported. He has also failed to appear in court “roughly 45 times.”
Comments under KGW’s video covering the attack on Youtube seem to show support for the assailant, with commenters writing, “Somebody needs to take care of the media with a section of pipe” and “THIS MAN IS A HERO!” One commenter even offered to further harm the cyclists with rocks.
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