NYC Hate Assault Ignored by Police

A New York City radio personality reported that he and two friends were attacked by a man yelling antigay slurs in Hell's Kitchen early Saturday morning -- and that responding police officers dismissed their request to take further action against the assailant.

Blake Hayes, a DJ for radio station WPLJ, was walking down Ninth Avenue with cabaret and Broadway performer Danny Calvert and another friend when a patron outside McCoy's bar threw a lit cigarette butt at one of them and said, "Keep moving faggot," according to Gothamist.

"We exchanged words, more and more heated, until he started to approach us, threatening violence," Hayes reported. "Before we knew it, he had thrown one friend against a car, denting it. The other took two punches to the face, cutting his lip, before the bouncer at McCoy's came out and stopped him."

Hayes said that when they called the police, about five officers from at least two cars responded. The officers asked the men and their attacker what happened but ultimately took no action.

"The cops -- the NYPD -- did NOTHING," Hayes wrote on his blog. "They wouldn't even take the guy's information so we could file a claim later, or even run the plates of the car whose body was dented from him throwing my friend into it. 'They're NJ plates, we can't do anything.'"

Hayes also reported that the bouncer for McCoy's bar later allowed the man who assaulted them back into the bar after the police left the scene.

New York City Council speaker Christine Quinn, an out lesbian, released a statement on Sunday saying that she was "deeply concerned" by the reports about the police behavior.

"In response I have spoken to Police Commissioner Kelly's office," Quinn said. "They have agreed to conduct an investigation of these reports, and to have police officials meet personally with the victims this week."