Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Alleged Dallas BBQ Gay-Basher Identified As Roving "Career Criminal"
By
Nathan Tempey
Published May 19, 2015
Modified May 19, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Nathan Tempey
Published May 19, 2015
Modified May 19, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Police have identified the man who attacked two men with a chair in a Chelsea Dallas BBQ earlier this month as Bayna El-Amin, 41. The chair beat-down, which was caught on cell phone camera, was the culmination of a brawl between the men and the suspect. The victims called it a gay-bashing and said the chair-wielder called them "white f-----s," but El-Amin is rumored to be gay himself.
Whatever his sexuality, police said El-Amin has a hefty rap sheet, having logged 18 arrests in several states for charges including assault, shoplifting, drug possession, credit-card fraud, drug possession, forgery, and possession of stolen property, DNAinfo reported. The charges are on file in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Alabama and New Jersey, with just two in New York, according to the website.
The NYPD's Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said El-Amin is likely on the lam.
“He is a career criminal," Boyce told the Daily News. "We believe he has fled the state.”
As we wrote previously, the fight began when two men accidentally knocked over a drink as they were leaving the restaurant, which led to a verbal confrontation with the other table, which then became physical. The Police Department is investigating the attack as a hate crime. A short Instagram video of the brutal chair blow circulated in the days following the fight. It has since been taken down, but lives on through YouTube.
Tagged
chair attack
dallas bbq
gay bashing
hate crime
Nathan Tempey
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
Critics say the moratorium harms businesses in neighborhoods without a tradition of street fairs.
By
Carol Chen
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 4:24 p.m. ET
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
The new deck will be used to store buses and supplies while crews tear down and rebuild the Midtown bus terminal. Once the project wraps, the space will be converted into a new park.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
The new deck will be used to store buses and supplies while crews tear down and rebuild the Midtown bus terminal. Once the project wraps, the space will be converted into a new park.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NJ early voting begins Saturday. Here's everything you need to know.
By
Mike Hayes
Countdown clocks are coming to an NYC bus stop near you
By
Stephen Nessen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .