Provincetown: Travel Warning update

Most of us think of Provincetown and "Gay Friendly" as coupled terms (like bread and butter). Maybe that's changing?

Richard (pictured) was visiting Provincetown this last weekend.

Richard decided to buy a pizza at Spiritus on Commercial Street. He left this well-known pizza parlor around 12:30 AM and as he walked down the street, came face to face with three men, one of whom calls him "faggot." Richard, as many of us would, replied with a "smart" comeback.

Richard continued his walk and within seconds felt a blow to his head. The last thing Richard thought to himself before he blacked out was "this is it, it's over..."

About an hour later he was awaken, on the beach, by Provincetown Police (they received an anonymous call). Officer Joudrey made the police report and sent Richard (distraught and confussed) on his way. Richard drove his vehicle back to his home town of New Bedford.

Around 12 noon the next day, Richard went to St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford. At immediate sight, the orderly puts him in a wheelchair, administers an IV, and puts on a neck collar (due to obvious head trauma). Richard was asked when this happened. He responded, "around 12 hours ago." He is told by the doctor "that is when you should have gone to the hospital, 12 hours ago."

Richard phoned the Provincetown Police and asked "what are the police going to do about this" and was allegedly told, "there is nothing we can do because you told us that you couldn't identify the three men that did this, so it is best to leave it alone."

Up until yesterday at around 2pm, the brother of the owner of Spiritus Pizza, Carl Yingling, was unaware of any incident near his establishment. So it seems that the police did not contact Spiritus or check out its webcam to see if any of this was recorded that evening.

Folks, this is a federal hate crime! Why would the police dismiss it so casually? Are the Provincetown Police lazy or bigots?

http://knowthyneighbor.blogs.com/home/2007/09/is-provincetown.html

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