As bars gave last call on Saturday night, a man in his early 40s was walking home through the Central District when two men, unprovoked, attacked him. According to a police report, a responding officer said the man "had fresh injuries to his right eye, mouth, chin, nose, and hands.⌠I also observed that his all white clothing was splattered with numerous drops of blood.â The man told the officer âhe was assaulted because of his sexual orientation.â
According to the report, the man was wearing a white sailor suit on the rainy night. After attending Gay Bingo downtown, he went to Bus Stop, the bar on Olive Way, and left with a friend around 1 a.m. The two parted ways and the man continued walking home alone.
While walking east on East Columbia Street, near the intersection of 13th Avenueâa block from Seattle Universityâa male voice yelled the word âfaggot.â A second man then yelled, âWhere the fuck are you coming from?â The man did not turn around. He was proceeding up the sidewalk when the two men attacked him from behind.
The suspects âbegan to punch him over and over about the head and the body,â the police report says. âThe two male suspects repeatedly yelled the word âfaggotâ throughout the duration of the assault,â the report continues. Then the man âfell to the sidewalk where he subsequently received numerous kicks to his torso.â
From the ground, the man began to fight back. He landed several âgood kicksâ and one âgood punch,â he reportedly told police, before the suspects fled the scene. He described the attackers as Caucasian men in their 20s and said they smelled strongly of marijuana.
The man didnât call police officers for a few hours after the attack because he was âprocessing what had happened,â he told police. He says a friend convinced him to report the assault.
The officer searched the crime scene. âGiven the delay and rainy weather,â the officerâs report concludes, âit is likely that any blood evidence had already washed away.â
Coincidentally, thereâs a vigil scheduled in response to a ârecent upsurge in hate crimes against members of LGBTQ communityâ this Saturday, February 28 from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the pillars on Boren Avenue and Pike Street. The organizers, Queer Ally Coalition, write on the vigil's Facebook page, âWe would like to invite you to light a candle for the people who have fallen victim to hate crimes in our community and throughout the rest of the country.â