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Man Shouting "I Hate Muslims" Allegedly Attacked Woman With Hot Coffee In Midtown
By
Scott Heins
Published Dec 19, 2016
Modified Dec 19, 2016
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By
Scott Heins
Published Dec 19, 2016
Modified Dec 19, 2016
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A man repeatedly attacked a Muslim woman at a Midtown Dunkin' Donuts on Sunday, reportedly calling her a "terrorist" and throwing hot coffee in her face. The attack happened just before 2:45 p.m. at a Dunkin' location on West 35th Street near Seventh Avenue, police said.
Mason Gray, 34, ordered coffee then allegedly approached a group of Muslim women sitting at a table, the News reports. "I gave him coffee and he said something to me about terrorists, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. He walked away from me and sat next to a group of Muslim women," an unnamed store employee told the tabloid, stating that at first, the women ignored Gray, and continued eating.
According to a police spokesperson, Gray then shouted "I hate Muslims, I'm a cop, and I'm going to kill you" and threw his cup of hot coffee at a 21-year-old woman. The Dunkin' Donuts employee says Gray also swung his bag and hit the woman in her face.
Gray then pursued the woman as she ran outside of the coffee shop, put her in a headlock, and said he was going to kill her, police said. Officers responded after 911 was called, and arrested Gray on charges of felony hate crime assault. The 21-year-old victim refused medical attention at the scene.
Tagged
bias attack
coffee
dunkin' donuts
hate crime
herald square
homeless
islamophobia
Scott Heins
Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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