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Detroit Man Charged With Assault After Making Antigay Threats, Posting Video Online

Stephen Drake Edwards
Stephen Drake Edwards

Stephen Drake Edwards, who recorded himself making antigay remarks while pointing a gun at another man, turned himself in to police Saturday.

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A Detroit man has been arrested after threatening another man with a gun and making antigay comments to him -- and posting a video of the incident online.

Stephen Drake Edwards, 20, went on to post an apology video Saturday, and then he turned himself in to police, The Detroit News reports. He is charged with felonious assault and carrying a concealed weapon in a motor vehicle.

Officials with the Wayne County Prosecutor's office said Edwards was driving in a Detroit neighborhood Tuesday when he pointed a gun at a pedestrian and made antigay remarks.

"The remarks made by Edwards were derogatory statements referring to the victim's sexual orientation," said a statement from the prosecutor's office. "The victim was able to get away from Edwards."

Edwards posted a video of the encounter on Twitter, in which he reportedly told the victim to take off his pants. And later he posted a much longer video on Periscope, saying he would have killed the man if he had taken off his pants.

Then Saturday, Edwards put another video on Periscope, headlined "Apologies to LGBT Community," in which he blamed drunkenness for his behavior in the previous post. Of himself in the earlier video, he said, "Physically it wasn't me. I was intoxicated."

"I apologize, though," he added. "I got my whole family looking at me. I don't even know why I did it. I'm going to go turn myself in."

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.