Police in Queens are on the hunt for a man who was caught on camera destroying a Pride flag and harassing staff at a sports bar in Astoria. The incident, which occurred at Murphy’s sports bar on Sept. 6, involved the suspect slashing the flag with a knife and using homophobic slurs towards staff members. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Unit is currently investigating the incident and have released a photo and video of the suspect.
Hate crimes have been on the rise this year, with sexual orientation being the third most common bias motivation behind hate crimes in New York. According to a report from the state comptroller, almost 17% of hate crimes reported in the state are motivated by sexual orientation. In New York City specifically, 47% of hate crimes were committed on an antisemitic or homophobic bias.
This incident comes after a similar hate crime in March, where a man on the subway slashed another passenger with a box cutter while making homophobic comments. The NYPD is urging anyone with information on the suspect in the Queens sports bar incident to come forward. Murphy’s sports bar has not yet commented on the incident. This story is still developing and more updates may follow.
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Photo credit gothamist.com