Police in New York have arrested and charged two men and a teenage boy with menacing, third-degree hate crime and assault in the first degree after they chased and shot at a man in Brooklyn on Saturday night
Police in New York have arrested and charged two men and a teenage boy with menacing, third-degree hate crime and assault in the first degree after they chased and shot at a gay man in Brooklyn on Saturday night, reports NY Daily News.
The victim, who was dressed as a woman at the time of the attack, was walking with a friend near M.J. Beauty Salon on the corner of Putnam Ave. and Broadway in Bushwick at about 7 a.m. when he was attacked by Cody Sigue, 22, Matthew Smith, 21, and Tavon Johnson, 17.
According to police, the attackers screamed profanities and anti-gay slurs at the pair. The attackers then opened fire and shot the victim in the rear.
Johnson and Sigue were charged with menacing and third-degree hate crime, while Smith was charged with assault in the first degree. Johnson and Sigue each have one prior arrest while Smith has "an extensive arrest history," with 14 arrests including robbery.
Local resident Daquan Ruddock said:
“[It] shows how gay people can’t walk around in the street without someone saying something or doing something towards them. It’s sad.”
Watch an NBC New York report on the attack, AFTER THE JUMP…
Earlier this month, police investigating an anti-gay hate crime in Philadelphia were assisted by the public who used Twitter to track down the attackers.
