Police: Stabbing Near Howard Theatre an Anti-Gay Hate Crime
From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.
Police have classified a June 26 stabbing outside the Howard Theatre as an anti-gay hate crime. As we reported (see Police Make Arrests in Two Cases Tuesday Night), police made three arrests in the case shortly after the stabbing occurred. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the 16-year-old victim in the incident got into an argument with a adult male in the 600 block of T Street NW around 8:45 pm.
A June 26 stabbing near the Howard Theatre has been classified as an anti-gay hate crime. (Luis Gomez Photos, file photo)
The adult male then stabbed the juvenile while another adult male and an adult female held him down. The suspects were all arrested a short time later in the 1800 block of 7th Street NW. The victim suffered from multiple stab wounds but his injuries were not life threatening.
According to the Washington Blade, the suspect who stabbed the victim was overhead making multiple homophobic slurs towards the victim. The Washington Post quoted DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier saying one suspect used “derogatory, homophobic language” and that the incident was a “violent crime with a bias.” The three suspects are all charged with assault with a deadly weapon and the hate crime enhancement. The incident was also covered by The Advocate and NBC 4.
A preliminary hearing in the case was originally scheduled for June 29, but was moved to July 5 at 11 am. According to the Washington Blade, this delay was to allow prosecutors a chance to gather additional information in order to offer the suspects a plea bargain. The suspects are all being held in the D.C. Jail pending the outcome of the preliminary hearing.
