Tag: hate crime

Posted on

Man Disables Security Cams In Advance Of Brutal Hate Crime

An 18-year-old man in Jamaica is in critical condition after being ambushed in a fake dating app hookup where he was robbed, had his penis partially severed and set on fire.

Stock photo of a crime scene

A Florida man has been arrested after cutting the power to the home of a gay couple and then brutally attacking one of them.

Damiek Jones, 31, has been arrested and charged in the vicious stabbing attack that took place late Sunday night in New Smyrna Beach.

The victim and his boyfriend told police there were at home when the power went out. Stepping outside to check the circuit breaker, Jones ambushed the victim hitting him in the head, possibly with brass knuckles according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

The attacker, later identified as Jones, then stabbed the victim repeatedly in the back of his thighs and head. During the attack, a red bandana covering Jones’ face came off whereupon the victim recognized him.

According to the couple, Jones knew the residence had security cameras in place which would explain why he disabled power to the house.

The victim’s partner heard yelling and came to the rescue chasing Jones as he fled the scene. During the chase, the boyfriend saw Jones throw items into a neighbor’s yard.

Police were called to the home at 11:16 pm and with the aid of a police dog recovered a chisel (the presumed weapon), the bandana, and a scarf. A backpack was also found containing nunchucks, a knife, pills, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Mugshot of Damiek Jones
Damiek Jones (police mugshot)

Additionally, a journal was found in the backpack which included chilling passages detailing Jones’ animus towards queer people.

“I now understand that to hate them all is a requirement. (The victim and boyfriend) and now (names two women), all of you shall have a moment of fate to look forward too,” wrote Jones according to the police report.

In light the journal entry, New Smyrna Beach police determined Jones “committed the crime with prejudice based on the sexual orientation of the victim.”

Jones was arrested and charged on Monday with committing a second-degree misdemeanor with prejudice, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a Schedule IV substance.

He is currently being held in the Volusia County Branch Jail on $15,500 bail.

(source: Daytona Beach News-Journal)

Posted on

Adult Performer Matthew Camp Woke Up To Arson Attack

The home of adult performer Matthew Camp was destroyed in an arson attack he believes was a hate crime

The home of adult performer Matthew Camp was destroyed in an arson attack he believes was a hate crime
The home of Matthew Camp destroyed in an arson attack (images via Instagram)
Adult performer Matthew Camp woke up in the early morning hours of January 14 to find his home in Poughkeepsie, New York had been set ablaze in an apparent hate crime. “An arsonist poured gasoline on the front porch of my home and set it on fire in an apparent hate crime,” writes Camp in an Instagram post. “I was asleep inside. I am alive to face this person one day but everything I have ever owned is gone.” “Share this story because queer people are still under attack all over the world,” added Camp. “Our voices will not be silenced.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Matthew Camp (@matthewcamp)

The former go-go boy turned sex-positive advocate and OnlyFans star went on to share that since the attack “I’m just living day to day trying to piece together what’s left.” He closed his post thanking friends and fans for their support and “continued fight to keep our queer families safe.” Despite the vast damage to the home, Camp and his friend Six Carter were able to escape the fire unharmed.
(images via Instagram)
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up by friends to help rebuild his life and replace some of his belongings. A home security camera captured the arsonist coming up the steps of Camp’s home just seconds before the blaze and splashing a liquid (presumably gasoline) all over the front porch. The time stamp on the video shows it was 5:09 am. The city’s police and fire departments received 911 calls reporting the fire at 5:12 am.

The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that once the fire was out, “an investigation quickly determined that it was a case of arson.” The identity of the arsonist is still unknown but authorities are continuing to investigate. The home was previously owned by a “Satanist,” Joe ‘Netherworld’ Mendillo who died in January of last year. Camp purchased the residence in October. The home is apparently well-known in the area as the “Halloween House.” The nickname is apparently derived from decorations both outside and inside the residence and a hearse reportedly used to sit in the driveway. I interviewed Camp a couple of years ago as he was launching a new video series project. I found him to be not only polite and well-spoken, but sharp as a tack regarding business and how he views life. You can listen to our chat below.

Posted on

Gay Black Man In Coma For 4 Days After Late Night Stabbing Attack

Anthony Crumbley was the victim of a stabbing attack on December 18 which left him in a coma for 4 days

Anthony Crumbley was the victim of a stabbing attack on December 18 which left him in a coma for 4 days
Anthony Crumbley (photo via GoFundMe)
A 25-year-old gay Black man in Boston, Massachusetts, was stabbed while walking home on December 18. The attack left him in a coma for four days, and fearing for his life knowing his attackers are still “out there”. The attack occurred around 10:45 pm after Anthony Crumbley had left a bar in South Boston. “The two males and a female approached me and two males attacked me and stabbed me in my neck and in my stomach, and pretty much ran and left me there,” Crumbley told CBS Boston. Crumbley was treated at Boston Medical Center for life-threatening injuries where he spent four days in a coma in the hospital’s ICU.
Photo of the stabbing wounds sustained by Anthony Crumbley
(image via GoFundMe)
He believes the attack to be a hate crime telling the press, “I dress very femme and I’m a very outspoken person.” Crumbley, currently attending college, launched a GoFundMe page to help pay for his medical bills. On the crowdfunding page he wrote, “No one has been arrested for doing this to me and I’m scared, truthfully, knowing they are still out there on the streets and could do this to me again at any time.” Police have circulated a surveillance photo of people they would like to speak to in connection with the attack. At this time, the authorities say they have no reason to believe the stabbing was a hate crime.
Surveillance photo of possible suspects in stabbing attack
Surveillance photo being circulated by Boston police of possible stabbing suspects

Posted on

News Round-Up: September 17, 2020

Bear Week 2019 in Sitges, Spain
Some news items you might have missed: • TBT: Remembering a year ago when we discovered Sitges, Spain, for the first time (above) – and it just happened to be Bear Week 🙂 • WSVN Miami: A man was convicted of hate crime charges and sent to prison after he yelled homophobic slurs and beat up two gay men while they were walking their dog in downtown Miami. Quenton Moss, the assailant, was recorded on police body cams bragging to officers, “I split him good. He’s a [expletive]. [Expletive] should die, die.” • OUT: Author and activist Sarah McBride is poised to become the first out trans person serving in the upper chamber of a state legislature. The former Obama administration staffer and current National Press Secretary for Human Rights Campaign won the Democratic primary for Delaware’s first state senate district. The seat is considered a sure-bet for Democrats and McBride is expected to win the general election in November. • GLAAD: Bisexual+ Awareness Week seeks to accelerate acceptance of the bi+ (bisexual, pansexual, fluid, no label, queer, etc.) community. BiWeek draws attention to the experiences, while also celebrating the resiliency of, the bisexual+ community. Throughout BiWeek, allies and bi+ people learn about the history, culture, community, and current policy priorities of bi+ communities.

• Associated Press: Germany’s Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer apologized on Thursday for 65 years of discrimination against gay military service members. “I very much regret the practice of discrimination against homosexuals in the Bundeswehr, which stood for the policy of that time,” said Kramp-Karrenbauer said in a statement. “I apologize to those who suffered because of it.” • Washington Post: A seven-hour “flight to nowhere” advertised by Australian airline Qantas sold out within 10 minutes on Thursday. The flight will depart Sydney on Oct. 10 and return on the same day, with no stops along the way. But passengers are promised views of the Great Barrier Reef, the Uluru monolith and the Australian outback as the plane flies over the country at low altitudes. The 134 available tickets ranged from $787 to $3,787 in Australian dollars, the equivalent of $575 and $2,765. • HuffPost: Donald Trump was called out on Wednesday for bragging that the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus would be lower if one subtracted the deaths from “blue” states. “The blue states had tremendous death rates,” Trump said. “If you take the blue states out, we’re at a level that I don’t think anybody in the world would be at, we’re really at a very low level.” According to data collected by The New York Times, 3 of the top 6 states in terms of deaths have Republican governors and 5 of the top 10 voted for Trump in 2016.

Posted on

Gay Man Beaten Unconscious Amid Barrage Of Anti-Gay Slurs

Christian Council (images via Facebook)
Two people who allegedly beat a gay Oklahoma man unconscious are not expected to face hate crime charges despite the victim and a witness telling police officers the assailants hurled anti-gay slurs during the assault. Oklahoma City-based real estate agent Christian Council, 28, told police he was returning home in his car in the early hours of June 27 with a friend, 26-year-old Andrew Martinez, when he came upon a pickup truck parked in the street blocking traffic in his apartment complex. Council says he honked once then again before the truck finally moved out of the way at which point Council parked his car several spaces down. As he and Martinez exited the car, two men and a woman were standing nearby. The woman, later identified as Amery Dickerson, 23, called Council and Martinez “c**ksuckers” and one of the men used another homophobic slur. According to the police report, when Council explained he honked his horn because he couldn’t get by, Dickerson charged at him, shoving him into a parked car. As she charged him a second time, he pushed her in the face to protect himself. Council says at that point the two men yelled, “You f*ggot, don’t you know you can’t hit a girl?’”  “And the driver of the truck and the girl’s boyfriend beat me,” adds Council. “Beat me unconscious.”

Bennett Stone, 24, was identified as the man who started the fight. As the incident escalated, Council and Martinez say the trio was yelling homophobic slurs. Martinez tried to intercede but the unidentified man restrained him while Stone continued the beating. Martinez told police Council lost consciousness for “a minute or two” as he stopped responding to the blows and his body went limp. Martinez was eventually able to call 911. The police charged Dickerson and Stone with misdemeanor assault and battery which could result in up to 90 days in jail and a fine of $1,000. Council was treated for a concussion as well as cuts and bruises at a local emergency room. In the weeks since the attack, Council says he’s experienced post-traumatic stress disorder while in public. According to The Oklahoman, the initial police report didn’t mention any of the homophobic slurs used during the assault even though Council and Martinez relayed that to the officers. In characterizing certain crimes, Oklahoma City police can indicate whether an incident was domestic violence, a drive-by shooting, or a hate crime. The officers didn’t check the hate crime box. The report was later amended to include the use of anti-gay remarks after the police reviewed body camera footage showing Council mentioning the slurs. In Stone’s version of the events, he claims he saw Council “punch” Dickerson and he was merely defending Dickerson. A spokesman for the Oklahoma City police, Master Sgt. Gary Knight told The Oklahoman the incident is currently under review before referring it to the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s office. “There is no hard evidence that suggests the attack was because of his sexual orientation,” Knight told The Oklahoman. “Right now it appears the conflict was because of a truck not moving out of the way of his vehicle. These people did not know each other. There’s no indication they jumped out of their vehicle because of his sexual orientation.”

(image via Facebook)
Council, however, disagrees saying the incident escalated because Stone and Dickerson realized he was gay. “I want to make this very clear,” said Council to The Oklahoman. “They got out of their truck because they were mad that I honked at them. They beat me unconscious because I was gay.” “It was very clear to me that as soon as they saw that my friend and I were gay, or that they assumed we were gay, it was very clear to me that it went from they were mad that I had honked at them, to they were mad that two gay men had the audacity to honk at them, or inconvenience them in any way,” he added. Council is aware LGBTQ people aren’t a protected class in Oklahoma meaning Stone and Dickerson won’t be facing state hate crime charges. Still, he says he has filed a hate crime report with the FBI. Council also says he’d prefer that Dickerson and Stone be sentenced to some form of restorative justice. “These people can go and sit in a jail cell and just let their hate against queer-trans people build, or they can be forced to go work community service hours alongside the queer and trans community and see the humanity in us, and I think that that kind of restorative justice will do a lot more for our community than jail time will,” Council told The Oklahoman. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help Council cope with the cost of medical treatment in the ER and downtime from work as well as legal fees as Council is planning a civil suit against his attackers. (source: The Oklahoman)

Posted on

Gay Man Loses Front Teeth In Homophobic Attack Over Pride Flag

Tom Anderson (screen capture via Boston 25 News)
A gay man in the southeastern Massachusetts town of Taunton was attacked in his own front yard in late June for hanging a rainbow Pride flag. Tom Anderson told local news affiliate Boston 25 News he and his husband Jacob had the flag up for only an hour when a random driver by stopped his car, got out and attacked him. As the man approached, Anderson says he cursed at him, using homophobic slurs and punched him in the face. “I was kind of in a state of disbelief like ‘Really? I’m in my own yard,’” Anderson told the news outlet. “I saw the guy just come up and yell those nasty words at my husband and then hit him two or three times and then took off back into his car and screeched away,” said Jacob Anderson, Tom’s husband. As a result of the attack, Tom lost his two front teeth and required several stitches to close his wounds.
(screen capture)
“It’s definitely a hate crime just based on the words he used,” Jacob added. The couple says another person passing by witnessed the attack and stopped to help them. The local police were called and given a description of the man and his car but no word yet on if the attacker has been found. Taunton Police say the investigation is ongoing. Tom says his concern is that people may think “this is okay to do.” Still, the Andersons share their community has been “amazing.” Since the incident, they’ve seen an outpouring of support from friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even strangers. The couple, who have been married nine years, say they’ve even received a home security system as a gift. And instead of becoming fearful in the aftermath of the attack, Tom says he has no plans to stop flying his Pride flag. In fact, he says, “I want to just keep it up all year long now.” (source: Boston 25 News)

Posted on

Justice Dept To Launch Hate Crime Investigation In Georgia Shooting

Ahmaud Arbery
From CBS News:

The U.S. Department of Justice is launching an investigation into the shooting death of an unarmed black man in Georgia as a hate crime, according to attorneys for the victim’s family.

Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was shot and killed by two white men while jogging in his neighborhood on February 23. Three arrests were made this month after video surfaced of the violent encounter.

Attorneys for Arbery’s family said the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Bobby Christine and his office will look into why Glynn County and the state of Georgia took more than two months to make an arrest and whether the region has historically violated the rights of its citizens. The U.S. Attorney said he plans to file criminal and civil charges.

William Bryan, who recorded Arbery’s killing from his car, was arrested and charged with felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. His footage showed 64-year-old Gregory McMichael and his 34-year-old son, Travis, confront Arbery before shooting him.

Gregory and Travis were both arrested May 9. Travis was charged with murder and aggravated assault, and Gregory was charged with party to murder and aggravated assault.

Posted on

News Round-Up: May 22, 2020

(images via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • Buzzfeed News: Mike Shultz (above), a gay nurse who attended the Winter Party Festival in Miami Beach, shared side-by-side before and after photos on Instagram to demonstrate how COVID-19 had affected his body in six weeks. “I wanted to show it can happen to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, have preexisting conditions or not. It can affect you.” • KIT212: Check out the what’s what in local LGBTQ publications like South Florida Hot Spots chatting with former American Idol alum David Hernandez (below).
(image via South Florida Hot Spots)
• Gay Star News: On March 3, three men shouting homophobic abuse at a 37-year-old in the heart of London pushed him into the street and attacked him. The police have arrested three men, all aged 21 years old, on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm. • New Music: Superstar duo Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande dropped their new music video, “Rain On Me,” at midnight and it immediately shot to #1 in 26 countries on iTunes. “Rain On Me” is the second single from Lady Gaga’s highly anticipated sixth studio album Chromatica, which will be released on May 29.

• New York Times: The W Hotel in Barcelona, Spain, currently has just one occupant among its hundreds of luxury guest rooms. Maintenance engineer Daniel Ordoñez has lived alone in the hotel since March handling tasks that must be done on a regular basis like opening the 1,400 water taps every five days. • Washington Post: A study of 96,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients on six continents found that those who received an antimalarial drug promoted by President Trump as a “game-changer” in the fight against the virus had a significantly higher risk of death compared with those who did not. People treated with hydroxychloroquine were also more likely to develop a type of irregular heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, that can lead to sudden cardiac death. • Entertainment Weekly: I found this look back at the “mad, sad, totally fab life of Paul Lynde” by EW a great read. Click the play button below to relive some of the comedian’s funniest one-liners on the iconic game show, Hollywood Squares.

Posted on

News Round-Up: May 19, 2020

Joe Blizzard (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Joe Blizzard (above) is giving you boo-boo face over having to deal with home-gym workouts. Don’t worry, Joe, the gyms will open soon. Follow him on Insta here. • Deadline: In surprising news, Ruby Rose, the star of the CW’s freshman drama series Batwoman, is leaving the Warner Bros. TV/Berlanti Prods. drama after one season. The series, which already has been renewed for a second season, will continue with the title role getting recast. Rose, an alum of Orange is the New Black, returned to the small screen with Batwoman, playing the first gay lead character — male or female — of a live-action superhero series. • ABC News: After nine homes over five years, 17-year-old Michael was adopted by Chad and Paul Beanblossom of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Despite the coronavirus pandemic shutting down court proceedings, 80 people including friends, family and adoption specialists witnessed the special moment unfold over the Zoom teleconferencing app.

• The Gaily Grind: Matt Belanger, an Emmy-winning news anchor in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was viciously attacked in what police believe was a hate crime fueled by homophobia. He suffered an eye injury which could result in permanent vision damage. Vennie Jerome Williams, 39, was arrested in connection to the assault. While in police custody, authorities said Williams “made statements indicating that he assaulted [Belanger] because he perceived that [he] was homosexual.” • Politico: More vetting of Tara Reade’s allegations of sexual assault by former Vice President Joe Biden reveals those who have tried to help her in the past were left with an unsavory impression. A number of those who crossed paths with Reade say they remember two things: She spoke favorably about her time working for Biden, and she left them feeling duped. • The Advocate: CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last Thursday, that along with his newborn son Wyatt, he considers being gay “one of the great blessings” of his life.

Posted on

Pride Flag Burner Charged With Masturbating In Front Of Prison Guards

Adolfo Martinez (screen capture)

Adolfo Martinez (screen capture)
Adolfo Martinez (screen capture)
File this under “Making a bad thing worse.” Adolfo Martinez is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence after ripping down and burning a Pride flag flying at the Ames United Church of Christ in Ames, Iowa, last summer. But Martinez isn’t content to simply serve his time. The Ames Tribune reports an internal investigation reviewing jail footage found “multiple incidents where he made ‘inappropriate’ comments and performed sex acts in front of various female detention officers from Nov. 23, 2019, to Dec. 19. 2019.” Martinez allegedly told a female guard “you smell freaking good” on November 30. Video footage from later that day showed the 30-year-old standing in the middle of his cell “performing a sex act with his pants off.” That same night, Martinez allegedly repeated the ‘sex act’ before guards conducted a security check. During the security act, a female officer reports he sat on his bed and performed another ‘sex act’ while smiling at the guard. According to a criminal complaint filed against Martinez the guard communicated with him over the jail’s intercom system informing him “If the behavior continued, he could be charged, to which he responded, ‘Oh, I know.’”
Adolfo Martinez (mugshot via Story County)
The Tribune notes that indecent exposure is a serious misdemeanor in Iowa. If found guilty, a judge could choose to add another year to his already considerable sentence. Martinez admitted he committed the June flag burning crime during a television interview with local news station KCCI. “I’m guilty, I’m guilty as charged,” he proudly announced. “I’ll say it on camera as well. Live! Let it be known. I’m guilty as charged plain and simple. Knowingly, willingly, and intentionally did I do that. Yep. It’s my honor.” “It is a judgment and it is written to execute vengeance on the heathen and punishments upon the people… and it is my honor to do so,” he continued. “It’s a blessing from the Lord to be able to stand for his word firmly against all odds, plain and simple.” The TV interview was played at his trial as evidence. Martinez was found guilty of a hate crime, third-degree harassment, and reckless use of fire (arson) as a habitual offender. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison due to previous offenses. For intoning his religious beliefs in the KCCI interview, Martinez became something of a cause celebre for Christian activists. A Christian website, LifeSiteNews, launched a petition calling the sentence ‘excessive’ and urged the Iowa Court of Appeals to “step in and reduce this disproportionate sentence!” We’re curious if the good Christians at LifeSiteNews will continue their unbridled support after Martinez’s latest antics. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Martinez to appear in court on February 24. (source: Ames Tribune)