‘Are you gay though?’ Man records his own ‘homophobic attack’ on video, prompting Utah police hunt
The suspect was charged in relation to an ‘anti-gay attack’ caught on video.
Police are searching for a suspect over the homophobic assault of a gay man in Salt Lake City, Utah, which was recorded in a video posted on Twitter.
Salonge Knowles, one of the victims in the incident, uploaded a video on Twitter showing an anonymous man, who asks him: “Are you gay though?”
“Oh, I am,” responds Knowles, to which the suspect replies: “Oh then you’re gay?”
The anonymous man then hits the camera.
Suspect allegedly hits gay man in arm in homophobic incident
Knowles told 2News that the man hit him in the arm and pulled a knife on one of his friends.
He added that the suspect also pushed one of his female friends.
My friends and I were assaulted by this homophobic man in downtown Salt Lake City last night. Anyone know him? The police are interested in having a chat with him. #SaltLakeCity @slcpd @slcmayor @EqualityUtah pic.twitter.com/1tPFSCADOp
— Salonge Knowles (@saltrejo) February 17, 2019
Knowles posted a video of the incident on Twitter on Sunday (February 17), which he told 2News happened at about 1:45am on Sunday morning outside Bodega Bar on Main Street.
“We are asking anyone with information on this case to call 801-799-3000 and reference case 19-28822.”
—Salt Lake City Police Department
“My friends and I were assaulted by this homophobic man in downtown Salt Lake City last night,” he wrote.
“Anyone know him? The police are interested in having a chat with him.”
Police search for suspect in alleged homophobic assault
Salt Lake City Police Department confirmed that it is investigating the incident on Twitter, and shared Knowles’ video of the assault.
“We are asking anyone with information on this case to call 801-799-3000 and reference case 19-28822,” the department wrote in a Twitter post on February 18.
Knowles told 2News that the suspect appeared to be drunk.
He said the man approached him and his friends, saying homophobic and misogynistic slurs.
Knowles said that, after the assault, the man drove away in his BMW and hit the dividers in the road.
He described the man as 5ft 8 inches tall, wearing a green t-shirt, blue jeans, and camouflage trainers.
