MANHATTAN – The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is now investigating a despicable homophobic incident on the Upper East Side, when a hammer-wielding suspect put two men in fear for their lives— approaching them on the sidewalk in Lenox Hill, the tool in hand as he spewed an anti-gay slur at the men, police say.
‘Fuck you, faggots,’ the suspect told the men— who are 57 and 52 years old— after approaching them in the area near Fifth Avenue and East 63rd Street around 2:30 am last Saturday, June 25th, according to investigators.
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Police have described the vile incident as both menacing and aggravated harassment, so it’s not clear where the charges will land once the suspect, seen in surveillance images, is identified by detectives.
After the run-in with the two men, the hammer-wielding suspect fled into Central Park, police say. Images show him in an oversize black tee and khaki pants, with black and white sneakers and a small cross body bag.
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This case is under investigation by he NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force— a citywide team that tackles bias incidents across the five boroughs and brings suspects wanted in hate-motivated crimes to justice.
If you recognize the suspect or have any information that could help detectives, you’re asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477.
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