L.A. Couple Attacked After Kissing in Florida Burger King

A gay couple were attacked at a fast-food restaurant in Florida after sharing a kiss while waiting for their food.

Jordan Schaeffer, 25, and his boyfriend, Eric Danko, 25, who were visiting from Los Angeles, were attacked at 3 a.m. Monday by a man who was waiting for his order behind them in the Burger King Whopper Bar. The couple told the police the man was "offended" by their embrace. He went on to confront the couple and harass them, "using derogatory words," reports Miami TV station WFOR.

The fight then turned physical, the station reports. Schaeffer and the harasser were soon wrestling on the floor, and shortly into the fight another man pushed Danko away and blocked other patrons from intervening. The first man continued to beat Schaeffer, as a surveillance video shows, and Schaeffer suffered lacerations to his lip.

The Miami Beach police told WFOR that they believe the men were attacked because they're gay. "The subjects in this case happen to be gay individuals and that's part of our investigation to see what provoked that attack," said Miami Beach police officer Ernesto Rodriguez.

Police said they are pursuing the case as a felony battery and are coordinating with the state's attorney's office to investigate it as a hate crime.

"The clear message we wanna give to visitors and residents of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County for that matter is there is no place for hate here," Rodriguez said.

The restaurant has released surveillance footage, which the police hope will aid in identifying the suspects. The man who attacked Schaeffer is shown wearing a black shirt and jean shorts, while his friend is wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and blue jeans.

Watch an interview with Eric Danko below.