Tag: NYC

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NYC Cop Pleads No Contest To Burglary, Using Racial Slurs

Michael Reynolds, a 25-year-old New York City police officer, is accused of breaking into the home of an African-American family and screaming racial slurs while on vacation in Nashville, Tennessee, this past summer. Reynolds has pleaded no contest to charges of aggravated burglary and three misdemeanor assault charges From NewsChannel 5 in Nashville:

Michael Reynolds, 25, pleaded no contest to his felony aggravated burglary charge and three misdemeanor assault charges.

The break-in happened around 2:30 a.m. on July 9th, 2018 at a 12 South home in Nashville.

The homeowner, Conese Halliburton, said she felt traumatized reliving the incident in court today. Reynolds was on vacation and staying at an Airbnb with friends one door down from Halliburton’s home, and police say he was under the influence of alcohol when he broke into the house.

“He knows what he did, it’s on video, there’s audio. There was people there so how can he not plead guilty and say this is what you did and stand up and be truthful. You’re an officer,” Halliburton said.

When the incident occurred, Halliburton told Metro officers Reynolds kicked in the door and started yelling at her and her two sons who had not went to bed yet. A surveillance camera captured part of the exchange and a man’s voice shouting, “Try to shoot me, I’ll break every bone in your f(expletive) neck. You f(expletive) n(expletive).”

Reynolds faces sentencing on November 7.

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Madonna’s Midnight Surprise At The Stonewall Inn

Madonna surprised the crowd last night with a midnight appearance at the iconic Stonewall Inn in New York City.
Madonna prepares to surprise the NYE crowd at the iconic Stonewall Inn in NYC

Madonna surprised the crowd last night with a midnight appearance at the iconic Stonewall Inn in New York City.

Madge was recently named a ‘Stonewall Ambassador’ by Pride Live to help bring awareness to this year’s 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising on June 28, 2019. In honor of the anniversary, World Pride is being held in New York City this year.

Appearing onstage in an appropriate melange of leather, chains and glitter, the Queen of Pop noted, “This is the smallest stage I’ve ever been on.”

She then went on to address the diverse crowd about the memory and revolution of Stonewall (via Boy Culture):

“I see you! I stand here, proudly, at the place where Pride began, the legendary Stonewall Inn, and the birth of a new year.

“We come together tonight to celebrate 50 years of revolution. Fifty years of freedom-fighting. Fifty years of blood, sweat and tears — can I get an amen?! Fifty years of sacrifice. Fifty years of standing up to discrimination, hatred and — worst of all — indifference.

“And it all started here, at Stonewall. Let us never forget the Stonewall Riots and those who bravely stood up and said, Enough. Enough brutality, enough violence inflicted on this community, enough stigmatism, enough oppression, enough pain and suffering.

“We must never forget where we came from.”

Madonna then launched into an acoustic version of her mega-hit “Like A Prayer.” That was followed by a duet of the Elvis classic, “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” with her son, David, on guitar.

(h/t Boy Culture)

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Homophobic NYC Subway Attacker Arrested For Harassment & Assault As A Hate Crime

Allah Allasheed

Earlier this week, I reported on the violent homophobic attack on a New York subway train that left a young woman with a fractured spine.

According to The New York Daily News, the alleged perpetrator has been apprehended and charged with aggravated harassment and assault as a hate crime.

Allah Allasheed, 54, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The assault occurred on November 20 aboard an E train in Queens.

The victim, a 20-year-old college student, tells the Daily News her friend “gave me a kiss on the cheek while she was making a Snapchat.”

That somehow triggered Allasheed, who flew into a rage, as he started screaming at the two young women.

“Don’t do that gay shit in front of me!,” he yelled as he threatened the victims. “Do that one more time and watch what happens!”

The two students say they stood up to put some distance between themselves and the man, and that’s when he jumped up and ran towards them.

“I knew he was going to hit me,” the victim told The Daily News. “He punched me in the back. I turned around and before I could even defend myself …. he threw me back. My head hit the pole and my back hit the ground.”

Allasheed apparently managed to escape when the train stopped at the next stop.

Hospitalized with a C7 vertebrae fracture near the base of her neck, the victim also suffered torn elbow ligaments trying to catch herself as she fell.

Treated at Elmhurst Hospital, she returned to school for end of semester exams. Nearly a month after the violent assault, she still wears a neck brace.

Allasheed was captured by the New York Police Department Hate Crime Task Force. According to reports, he confessed to the attack and the use of hate speech.

“I stood up and told her kiss her again you dyke and watch what happens,” he allegedly told authorities, according to the Daily News. “I pushed the girl, she turned around and then she fell.”

The victim told the Daily News she is, of course, relieved the assailant has been arrested and charged. She also doesn’t want the incident to change her.

“Bad things happen, but good things happen all the time,” she said. “Hopefully I can move on from it.”

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UPDATE: Suspect Arrested In Connection With Alleged Brooklyn Hate Crime

Alleged suspect in Brooklyn hate crime

UPDATE: A 25-year-old man, Brandon McNamara, has been arrested in connection with the gay bashing.

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Two men were viciously attacked early Sunday morning as they left a gay bar in Brooklyn, New York.

According to ABC7, the two men – one 29-years-old, the other 34-years-old – had just left the Metropolitan Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, when a man approaching them called out with a homophobic slur.

The incident quickly escalated with the attacker punching the 34-year-old in the face, and throwing the 29-year-old against a tree. Both were knocked unconscious.

The good news is a bystander managed to snap a fairly clear photo of the attacker as he ran away.

One of the victims suffered a broken finger, while the other had to be treated for a broken shoulder.

Speaking to ABC7, Aidan Pongrice, a neighbor in the area, urged people to take action.

“Not just to find and arrest this one person, we need people to take action to go out and vote and make sure that we don’t have people and leaders in this country that actively dog whistle against my very existence,” said Pongrice.

The New York Police Department are now asking anyone with any information about the incident or identifying the attacker in question to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-8477.

Watch the report below from ABC7.

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Racist Rant On LIRR Gets Loud-Mouthed Passenger Hate Crime Charges

Edward Ruggerio (via screen capture)

The New York Daily News reports that a passenger on the Long Island Railroad who was caught on video spewing a racist, profanity-laden rant has been charged with a hate crime and could end up behind bars for the angry tirade.

Queens DA Richard Brown charged Edward Ruggerio, 58, with menacing as a hate crime for his verbal attack on a fellow passenger whome he threatened physical assault. Ruggerio will also face a count of second-degree aggravated harassment — crimes punishable by up to a year in jail and $1,000 fine.

Ruggerio claims he was upset that Orelian was talking too loudly with friends. “Shut the f–k up, you f—ing loud-mouthed monkey motherf—er,” he screamed at her. “I can’t listen to your f—ing black ass no more … You f—ing loudmouthed bitch … At least I got a f—ing mother. Do you know who your mother is? You don’t know who your mother or your father is because you’re a f—ing monkey, that’s why.”

Watch the report from the New York City ABC affiliate below.

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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NYC Lawyer Whose Racist Rant Went Viral Apologizes: “I Moved To NYC For The Diversity”

After being revealed as a bigoted racist in a viral video showing NYC attorney Aaron Schlossberg ranting at two women speaking Spanish in a lunch time restaurant, Schlossberg has issued a public apology
NYC attorney Aaron Schlossberg

After his bigoted, racist rant in a Midtown Manhattan lunch spot went viral, pro-Trump lawyer Aaron Schlossberg has become the target of much attention.

Reporters following him down streets and into buildings; folks have thrown mariachi parties in front of his building on the Upper West Side.

Well, it seems as though Schlossberg has raised a white flag of surrender.

Today, the New York City-based attorney issued a public apology telling the world seeing himself on video “opened” his eyes, and who we see in that hate-filled rant “is not the person I am.”

Here’s the full message:

To the people I insulted, I apologize, seeing myself online opened my eyes — the manner in which I expressed myself is unacceptable and is not the person I am. I see my words and actions hurt people, and for that I am deeply sorry.

While people should be able to express themselves freely, they should do so calmly and respectfully. What the video did not convey is the real me, I am not racist. One of the reasons I moved to New York is precisely because of the remarkable diversity offered in this wonderful city.

I love this country and this city, in part because of immigrants and the diversity of cultures immigrants bring to this country. Again, my sincerest apologies to anyone and everyone I hurt.

Not to be cynical, but in all honesty, what other move could he make without being a pariah now that he’s so famous as a bigoted, racist?

The man who spoke so freely in that video does NOT love diversity.

By the way, check out the ratio between “Likes” and “Comments” on Schlossberg’s tweet. When you’re that upside-down, you’re not getting high fives in the Comment section.

Some reaction from the Twitterverse:

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Former NY Firefighter Claims Hazing, Urged To Sleep With Stripper To Prove Manhood

(Michael Troina)

A former FDNY firefighter in Queens, New York, has filed a lawsuit alleging mental and emotional stress during his probationary period that included “hazing rituals” and homophobic slurs.

Michael Troina is seeking unspecified damages for being “singled out time and time again on account of his race and national origin as a Hispanic American male as well as perceived homosexuality . . . and was further threatened with physical violence if he dared to report any incident of battery, harassment or discrimination to the FDNY’s Equal Employment Opportunity Office,” according to the New York Post.

Troina says during his probation period he was called a “closet homo;” was told being Hispanic made him bad at his job; and was forced to eat orange juice with a fork from 12 different plates.

He claims co-workers “coerced” him into going to a strip club where he was encouraged to have sex with a stripper to prove his manhood. When he refused, he says he was called “faggot” and “loser.”

Troina also says he was excluded from a firehouse volleyball outing where he was later informed he was rundown with homophobic insults.

Last year, the Post reported on the aspiring firefighter’s story saying, “firefighters covered his car in peanut butter, toilet paper and nails; challenged him to fight; shoved him; called him a ‘bitch,’ ‘loser’ and ‘fa—t’; put up mocking photos of him, and stomped on his bunker gear.”

Troina says when he reported incidents to his superiors he was told to “not take it too hard.”

His lawsuit names New York City, the New York City Fire Department, 14 firefighters and fire commissioner Daniel Nigro as defendants.

Troina was fired one week before the end of his probation period. The FDNY says he was dismissed after a “failed evaluation.”

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Queer Theater: “217 Boxes Of Dr. Henry Anonymous” In NYC

Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Obie Award winner Laura Esterman
as “Katherine Luder” in 217 Boxes of Dr. Henry Anonymous

Three-time Obie award-winning playwright Ain Gordon has written and directed a new play, 217 Boxes of Dr. Henry Anonymous, that chronicles the successful efforts of Dr. John Fyer to declassify homosexuality as a mental illness.

Fryer’s testimony at the 1972 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting is considered one of the most significant moments in the history of the gay-rights movement.

As an openly gay psychiatrist who could have lost his medical license, Fryer used a pseudonym, mask and voice modulator to address his colleagues.

The cast includes Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Obie Award winner Laura Esterman (Marvin’s Room), Derek Lucci, and Broadway veteran Ken Marks (Mamma Mia!, Dear Evan Hansen, Dancing at Lughnasa, Hairspray).

Performances begin May 3 at Baryshnikov Arts Center’s Jerome Robbins Theater in New York City (450 West 37th Street).

For more information, head over to the official website here.

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Trump Demands Death Penalty For Manhattan Truck Driving Terrorist

Donald Trump

Donald Trump took to Twitter this morning to demand that Sayfullo Saipov, the Lower Manhattan truck driver who killed 8 in a terrorist attack on Tuesday, should get the death penalty.

The Trumpster wrote, in part, “NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room. He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!”

It’s extremely unusual for a president to make such a direct call to action about the death penalty.

There’s a good reason why elected officials shouldn’t comment on ongoing prosecutions. Speaking out publicly too soon can hand a defense lawyer the chance to bring up how an accused terrorist can’t get a fair trial in addition to other complications.