Seattle Gay Man Allegedly Beaten in Possible Hate Crime
According to a 37-year-old Seattle-area gay man, a group of people verbally and physically assaulted him early Monday morning because he is gay, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.
According to a police report, the victim said he was walking by himself around midnight on Monday when a group of three men and two women approached him and started to hurl anti-gay names towards him. The man attempted to run away, but the group chased him, caught up to him and allegedly beat him.
The man suffered a broken nose and cuts and abrasions. According to King5.com, the victim had minor laceration on his face. He was treated for his injuries at a local hospital.
Seattle's CBS-affiliated station, KIRO 7, identified the victim as Jason Jacobs.
Jacobs later told KOMO News he believes he was attacked because he is gay. And, the Seattle Police Department is investigating the incident as a hate crime.
King5.com also reports that the victim said the suspects were two white women and three white men but could not provide further details because he had been drinking, police say.
The Seattle Times reports the Seattle Police Department Blotter does not state the man's sexual orientation.