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Video: Surveillance Footage of West Village Gay Bashing
By
Garth Johnston
Published Mar 31, 2011
Modified Mar 31, 2011
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Mar 31, 2011
Modified Mar 31, 2011
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On Sunday, 26-year-old Damian Furtch was beaten outside the West 4th Street McDonald's in the West Village by two men spewing homophobic slurs, possibly because of his brightly colored clothing. Last night, police released a video of the beating (below), which left Furtch with two black eyes and multiple stitches. He said, "The attack against me is part of the larger issue of violence against gay and transgender people in New York City."
The attack came after Furtch and a co-worker from the Pink Tea Cup were harassed by a group of men inside the McDonald's. In an effort to diffuse the situation, Furtch left the fast food spot while his friend got their order, but two of his taunters apparently weren't done with him yet. The two men—believed to be between 18 and 20 years old, one with a tattoo of a cross under his left eye—followed them onto the street and started wailing on Furtch.
"One of the guys hit me in the face, my right side, the worst side with the stitches. I was sort of jumbled from that and seconds later I felt a second hit on my left side and then a third punch towards the top of my head," Furtch told NY1. "They were saying, ya know, you f'ing f----t, and things like that."
There have been two other gay bashings reported in the area in the past few months, one at the city's oldest gay bar and one at the city's most famous gay bar.
The assailants are still at large. If you know anything about the two men who attacked Furtch (whose boss describes him as a "gentle giant") the NYPD urges that you call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit tips at nypdcrimestoppers.com or even text info to 274637 (CRIMES) or TIP577.
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gay bashing
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