Bigot rattles off anti-LGBTQIA+ comments, threatens man on Upper West Side

Police are searching for big-mouthed bigot who spewed anti-LGBTQIA+ remarks and threatened a man on the Upper West Side in Manhattan last week.

According to law enforcement sources, on July 21 at around 4:50 p.m., the suspect approached a 38-year-old male victim on a commercial block in front of a Key Food supermarket located at 733 Amsterdam Ave.

The suspect began to rattle off a bunch of anti-LQBTQIA+ slurs to the victim, police said. He then wrapped up his hate speech by threatening to cut the victim and simulated a knife slash in the air.

It is unclear right now what, if anything, led up to the hateful altercation.

The victim was not hurt as a result of the incident. Police on Wednesday released a surveillance photo and video of the suspect, who remains at large. He is described as having a light complexion and was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt.

https://www.amny.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1990-24-Menacing-24-Pct_video.mp4

So far, no arrests have been made, but the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident.

Anyone with information regarding the incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.

According to the latest crime statistics, hate crimes in NYC increased 68% in June compared to the same month last year. There were 17 crimes motivated by sexual orientation in June this year, compared to 15 in June 2023.

Read More: https://www.amny.com/news/