Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Man Drugged And Sexually Assaulted After Leaving Hell's Kitchen Bar
By
Emma Whitford
Published Jun 29, 2016
Modified Jun 29, 2016
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 .
Google Maps
By
Emma Whitford
Published Jun 29, 2016
Modified Jun 29, 2016
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
A 25-year-old man says that he was drugged and sexually assaulted after stepping out of Boxers Sports Bar, a gay sports bar in Hell's Kitchen, early Sunday morning.
The victim, whose name has not been released, left Boxers on the corner of 9th Avenue and West 50th Street around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday and turned towards Times Square, according to a complaint filed with the NYPD. A spokesman for the department said Wednesday that the suspect allegedly approached the victim from behind at 50th Street, and said "Hey, come here." The complaint indicates that he then knocked the victim unconscious with poppers, slang for amyl nitrite. The drug, often sold in small vials, is an inhalant. Overdoses are uncommon.
The victim regained partial consciousness inside a parked car in an unknown location and realized that a man was sexually assaulting him, according to the police. He woke up fully some time later, alone at a bus stop on 110th Street (the NYPD could not confirm an intersection).
The victim then checked himself in to Wyckoff Medical Center in Bushwick. There are no injuries listed on the incident report.
Poppers were developed in the 1960s as a heart medicine, but they've been popular as a quick-hit high on the rave scene since the 1970s. They're also sold over the counter at many gay novelty shops, according to the gay news magazine The Advocate.
As of this morning, the NYPD has no description of the suspect. The spokesman said that the Special Victims Unit is investigating, and next steps include canvasing the neighborhood for surveillance footage.
Tagged
assault
Boxers Sports Bar
hell kitchen
poppers
sexual assault
Emma Whitford
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Person shot during encounter with federal agents in NYC's Marble Hill, NYPD says
Police say the person is conscious and receiving treatment at a hospital. The NYPD says its officers were not involved.
By
Giulia Heyward
and
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 8, 2026 at 5:33 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 8, 2026 at 5:55 p.m. ET
Lazy drivers in Prospect Heights lose chance for 1 less day of alternate-side parking
A pilot found that drivers actually complied with alternate-side less when fewer days were in effect.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Lazy drivers in Prospect Heights lose chance for 1 less day of alternate-side parking
A pilot found that drivers actually complied with alternate-side less when fewer days were in effect.
By
Liam Quigley
Jersey City mayor shakes up staff amid $255M budget gap
By
Michael Sol Warren
Bronx residents will be exempt from new Medicaid work rule, state officials say
By
Caroline Lewis
MTA chair accuses Andy Byford, who's leading Penn Station rebuild, of going 'full MAGA'
By
Stephen Nessen
and
Carol Chen
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 .