New York City Police Arrest 2 More Over Stonewall Pride Flag Vandalism

The New York Police Department has arrested two more men this week over their alleged involvement in destroying a Pride flag display at the Stonewall National Monument at Christopher Park.

Three have been arrested so far.

Last month, Patrick Murphy of Colorado was arrested after turning himself in to the police. Video of the incident that took place on June 10 showed three men, however, destroying the display and the many flags.

Christopher Park, where the attacks occurred, is across the street from the location of the famed Stonewall Inn and the site of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Inn and Christopher Park were designated national monuments in 2016.

Authorities arrested Charles Hyder, 25, of Manhattan, on Tuesday in connection to the attack on the flags. On Wednesday, Jackson Randall, 24, of Boston, was also arrested, according to Gothamist.

Both arrests occurred in Greenwich Village.

The three men have been charged with criminal mischief as a hate crime.

“I just hope that people being held responsible for their actions will start deterring these things from happening in the future,” the display’s creator, Steven Love Menendez, told Gothamist. “And more than that, I just wish that the rhetoric of hate that's being pumped out by some pundits and politicians and being put into the air would just be brought to an end.”

Two other incidents of vandalism also took place in Christopher Park in June. Those investigations continue, authorities say.