A 25-year-old man faces up to 15 years behind bars for assaulting a gay couple in Williamsburg, according to the borough’s top prosecutor, who charged the defendant with a hate crime he said has no place in Brooklyn.
“This defendant allegedly assaulted an innocent couple simply because he perceived they were gay,” said District Attorney Eric Gonzalez in November 14 written statement. “Crimes that target individuals because of their sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or other identity are a threat to everything we stand for in Brooklyn.”
The Queens man, Brandon McNamara, ran after the 29- and 30-year-old victims and shouted homophobic slurs as they left Lorimer Street’s Metropolitan Bar — a popular watering hole among the local gay community — a little before 1 a.m. on September 23, officials said.
McNamara then chased the couple down Metropolitan Avenue, before hurling both victims to the ground, knocking each unconscious, authorities said.
A good Samaritan called 911 to report the incident, and paramedics rushed both men to Woodhull Hospital, where doctors treated the 30-year-old victim for a fractured and dislocated left shoulder, and the 29-year-old victim for a broken finger, according to police.
The suspect turned himself into cops days later, on September 26, after authorities circulated a photo of him snapped by a person who witnessed the act, prosecutors said.
Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun set the defendant’s bail at $15,000 during his Wednesday arraignment, and ordered him to return to court on January 16, according to information from Gonzalez’s office.
This article was originally published in Gay City News’ sister publication Brooklyn Paper.
