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Teens Allegedly Yell Anti-Gay Slurs & Throw Brick At Gay Couple In Williamsburg
By
Scott Heins
Published Apr 12, 2017
Modified Apr 12, 2017
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By
Scott Heins
Published Apr 12, 2017
Modified Apr 12, 2017
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Two men were attacked by a group of teenagers shouting homophobic slurs before having a brick thrown at them in Williamsburg Monday. 26-year-old Gino Boffa had been walking with his partner near the intersection of Grand Street and Bedford Avenue just after 6 p.m. Monday night when police say two teenage boys approached them and began shouting homophobic taunts.
Boffa and his partner, who the Daily News identified as Tanner Gardella, 25, had reportedly been walking arm-in-arm when the boys approached, began laughing, and made the hateful comments. Boffa told the tabloid he immediately stopped and confronted the two teens, and asked them to repeat themselves.
"Then it went from 0 to 60," Boffa told the News. "They shoved us and started spitting at us calling us faggot. That's when one of them picked up the brick." According to police, Boffa and Gardella both attempted to run from the teenagers, at which point one of them threw a brick at them. The News reports that Gardella was hit in the leg, but not seriously injured.
NYPD officers apprehended two teenage male suspects, ages 13 and 15, near the Williamsburg intersection and arrested them. Both were charged with assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment. A police spokesperson confirmed they will be tried as juveniles.
Tagged
assault
bias crime
brooklyn
hate crime
homophobia
williamsburg
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
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