Update: Seven years jail for 'hate crime' machete attack on gay man

backstory

by Elizabeth Roberts
The Royal Gazette

A thug who chopped a gay man's face with a machete in a homophobic attack has been jailed for seven years.

Sending Rashad Cooper to prison yesterday, Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves warned that such crimes of hate will not be tolerated in Bermuda.

Cooper, 26 – older brother of the murdered Cooper twins – had a history of violent crime and homophobia before he launched the attack on Shawn Nusum, 25, in the early hours of November 15 last year.

On the night in question, the pair got into a dispute in Club Ovation, Water Street, St. George's, when Cooper taunted Mr. Nusum once again.

He later lay in wait for Mr. Nusum, and as he left the premises he hit him about the face with a machete.

"In some jurisdictions, such as the United States of America, such offences have come to be known as hate crimes and they attract penalties much above that attracted by the normal offence.

"No such legislation has yet been introduced in this jurisdiction, nor has the defendant been so charged, but the court should take into account the basis for the attack on the part of the defendant. And the court does indeed find that basis to be an aggravating factor."

full article

Bermuda gay man attacked with machete, court hears

The Bermuda Sun

A homophobic attack on a St. David's man left him with fractured facial bones and a two-inch gash over his eye, a Supreme Court jury heard yesterday.

Medical evidence read in at the trial of Rashad David George Cooper - brother of the murdered Cooper twins Jahmal and Jahmil - disclosed that the victim Shawn Nusum's cheek and jaw were broken in the machete assault, while his nose was fractured and he has partially lost the ability to raise the injured eyebrow.

Mr. Cooper, 25, of Fenton's Drive, Pembroke denies charges of unlawfully wounding Mr. Nusum on November 15 with intent to do him grievous bodily harm, and having a machete with him as a bladed article in a public place.

full article

Tucson PD investigating possible "hate crime"

Lupita Murillo reports
KVOA News 4

Tucson police say two men were viciously attacked almost two months ago just down the road from a gas station near Oracle and Grant roads.

To this day police remain tight-lipped about the case. News 4 obtained court documents.

The incident happened at night on May 3rd. The victims were two men who left the Circle K and began walking east on Sahuaro St.

As they approached north 10th avenue they say two hispanic men approached them and begin to yell anti-gay comments.

One of the suspects attacks one of the men stabbing him in the left shoulder and in the back of the head.

full article

Anti-gay assault in Flagstaff, Arizona

Equality Arizona responded today to an apparent bias-motivated attack on several lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people early Sunday morning. The incident involved staff and volunteers of Equality Arizona, the statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization.

At least two individuals were treated for injuries at a local hospital after a group of men shouting anti-gay slurs began assaulting several people who had gathered at a street corner, where they were waiting for cabs following a celebration during the weekend pride festivities.

One of the injured, Michel Brown, was with Equality Arizona Public Affairs Director Sam Holdren, Public Affairs Intern Steven Tran and Generation Equality member David Encizo. Tran and Encizo were in the crowd when the attacks began, but were not physically injured. Holdren was steps away, returning to the scene to find Brown lying unconscious and bleeding.

The incident has already begun to have an impact on the local community, who hours earlier had been at the Pride in the Pines festival. At the festival, newly-elected Flagstaff Mayor Sara Presler-Hoefle had issued a proclamation, declaring that day Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Day in the city of Flagstaff calling "upon the all city residents, employees and volunteers to participate in the spirit and activities of this day."

Equality Arizona Executive Director Barbara McCullough-Jones issued the following statement today: "The news of this attack is deeply disturbing. On a day when all of Flagstaff should have been celebrating and embracing diversity, this brutal attack has reminded us all that there is still much work to be done to prevent anti-gay bias from escalating into violence."

We are grateful for the immediate and efficient response of the Flagstaff Police Department and emergency responders. Along with the hospital staff, these professionals demonstrated great respect for the victims during this traumatic time."

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We stand with them and the Flagstaff community in calling for justice in this case. Equality Arizona will continue to partner with city leaders to create an environment where everyone who visits, lives or works in Flagstaff is safe and free from bias and discrimination, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression."

Sacramento Gay Bashing being investigated as hate crime

Daivd Begnaud, reporter
CBS 13

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ― Marquis Bryant says he was just leaving a nightclub when four men beat him so badly he had to be hospitalized.A bruised head and swollen eye didn't stop 20-year-old Marquis from speaking publicly about the attack.

He's admittedly afraid after what happened, but said he is not afraid of who he is.

"I've been called names while I was out, but never like this," said Bryant.Bryant says the attackers started by yelling offensive remarks."I was being called a 'fag', a 'faggott.'

The next thing I know I'm hitting the ground," said Bryant.

full article, including video

Victim says Oak Lawn attack was hate crime

By Tammye Nash - Senior Editor
Dallas Voice

Man says perpetrators called him ‘faggot’ as they were beating him with fists,

bricks outside apartment complex on Lucas Drive

Richard Allen said, in a telephone interview Wednesday, May 28, that he was walking home from a Maple Avenue nightclub early on Sunday morning, May 25, when he was attacked by five men outside an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Lucas Drive.

He said the men kicked him and hit him with their fists and with bricks, leaving him with two fractures in his arm, abrasions on his head and bruises all over his body.

“They just jumped me and started beating on me and calling me ‘faggot’ and stuff like that,” Allen said. “But I put up a real fight. I fought back hard.”

full article

Indiana hate crime victim speaks out

by Kyle Flood
posted at Indiana Equality


Hate Crime legislation has been suggested in Indiana but nothing has made a serious advance toward making a real difference. Every time a bill is proposed, the Christian Right spreads lies that put Hoosiers into a panic for what could "hurt" the heterosexual majority. Instead of helping protect minorities the Right feel as if their way of life will be threatened by properly prosecuting those who break the law.

I bring this up because nearly two weeks ago I, along with a handful of others, was attacked in Muncie, Indiana based on sexual orientation. Within walking distance from Ball State University, two college-aged students attacked two students and I in what can only describe as a hate crime.

Sitting in the emergency room, I could only think of how ignorant our attackers were. These men thought they were doing themselves good by attacking us. Calling us faggots, throwing punches, and even putting a female in a chokehold must have provided a much-needed rush for their masculinity. We were not helpless victims, but we were no match to their attack.

full article

Sacramento men arrested in what police say was 'gay-bashing'

By DON THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer
San Francisco Chronicle

Three Sacramento men have been arrested after a beating that law enforcement officials describe as a hate crime against homosexuals, police said Friday.

The Thursday evening incident at a Sacramento gas station came just hours after the California Supreme Court issued a ruling overturning a state ban on same-sex marriages.

A 23-year-old Sacramento man was sitting with another man in a car near the station's restroom when the three suspects asked if he was a homosexual, Sacramento Police Officer Michelle Lazark said.

The man said he was. When he got out of the car, the three men beat and kicked him, Lazark said. He did not require medical treatment.

full article

Sydney authorities form crime partnership

Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore says she hopes the new initiative will stop homophobic violence in Oxford Street.

Assistant Commissioner Catherine Burn says officers from the City Central, Kings Cross and Surry Hills local area commands will form a partnership with government agencies to plan strategies to prevent trouble associated with drunken behaviour.

Police Minister David Campbell says recent problems with violence around licensed venues in the city has prompted the changes.

"There is new legislation, both in the liquor laws and policing laws, that will assist police having those who drink alcohol take responsibility for their own actions," he said.

full article

The Butcher's Bill for February

Those of you who have seen the movie And the Band Played On will recognize the term in the title of this article. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term:

In the war against Napoleon, when Admiral Nelson wanted to know how many people were dead, he'd yell to his orderly, "What's the butcher's bill for today?"

I'm going to start posting a monthly Butcher's Bill. Showing the previous months violence against gays (please let me know if I miss any - I'm sure I'll miss many this first time around).

February Butcher's Bill:

Feb 9th - New York
Sanesha Stewart stabbed to death, in her home by Steve McMillian who had been seeing her

Feb 12th - California
15-year-old Lawrence King was shot in the head by another student

Feb 21st - Mexico
48-year-old Alejandro Fuentes Mejia was reportedly tortured, beaten with rocks, and suffocated

Note: I've had a couple of lovers die due to HIV/AIDS related causes. So I'll be the first to say knowingly infecting others is murder! But that doesn't mean it's okay to murder the murderer. I just don't understand how it makes us better when we lower ourselves to the same level as the offender.

Feb 22nd - Florida
17-year-old Simmie Williams was transgendered and was known in the area by the first name of "Chris" or "Beyonce." Williams was wearing a dress and was shot about 12:45 a.m.

Feb 23rd - Florida
Less then 24 hours after Simmie Williams was shot to death, Melbourne Brunner was beaten outside The Floridian 24-hour diner by a man who shouted anti-gay slurs at him and his partner.

MAINE: Charles Howard foundation

Charles Howard was an openly gay man living in Bangor, Maine. Charlie met a tragic fate in 1984 at the hands of three local teenagers who beat him for being "flamboyantly gay." Afterward, they cast him off the side of the State Street bridge into the Kenduskeag Stream where he suffered an asthma attack and drowned. Charles was 23 years old.

The three teens who beat him were arrested and sentenced to a reform school. They were all released before their 18th birthdays.

The Charles Howard gay-bashing incident rippled through the Maine lgbt community and became one of the many catalysts for the current movement to include sexual orientation in hate crime legislation in Maine and throughout the country.

Howard Memorial Foundation was formed to promote diversity, tolerance and hate crime prevention.

Recently the city accepted a gift from the Charles Howard Memorial Foundation of a bench and stone planter. It will be placed at the spot where Howard was killed.

The group started planning this memorial four years ago. Last year, the city rejected its original design.

People supporting this project are glad their efforts are finally paying off.

Burger King gay bashing

A Union City, NJ, gay couple were allegedly beaten by Burger King employees after asking for a refund.

The jersey Journal reported on Nov. 3 about the crime and subsequent indictment of Angel Carabello and Christopher Soto, two Jersey City men who were working at the Burger King at the time and who faces charges of aggravated assault, along with a first degree hate crime charge.

The July 22 incident reportedly began with the couple, two men in their 40s, requesting that they be given a refund when an item they had ordered turned out not to be available.

read the entire story

Chicago police abuse

Three women claimed Thursday in a federal lawsuit that an off-duty Chicago police officer roughed them up and called them names because of their sexual orientation after this year's gay pride parade.

The lawsuit could become the latest black eye for the Chicago Police Department, which has faced tough questions lately about the actions of off-duty officers, among other problems.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit filed on behalf of Kelly Fuery, 36, Debra Sciortino, 32, and Nicole Tomaskovic, 25, were the police department, officer William Szura and two state troopers.

According to the lawsuit, a vehicle driven by Fuery came upon a car moving at 30 mph on Interstate 55 after the June 24 parade. Fuery beeped her horn, and Szura responded by slamming on his brakes, speeding up and switching lanes, making it impossible for Fuery to pass, the lawsuit said.

Fuery was forced to the shoulder, where Szura screamed words such as "dyke" and spit at her, according to the lawsuit. The women claim he stuck a gun in Fuery's abdomen, "causing her to fear for her life."

When Sciortino tried to step in, Szura shoved her, and she fell, the lawsuit said. When Tomaskovic drove up in another car and tried to help, Szura placed her in a chokehold, according to the suit.

In other Chicago police troubles, six members of an elite unit are accused of using their badges to shake down residents and intimidate people. One of those six was accused Wednesday of considering hiring gang members to kill a former colleague and potential witness against him.

In July, three off-duty officers pleaded not guilty to beating four businessmen in a bar in one of two videotaped confrontations that helped ramp up criticism of the department.

In the other case, an off-duty officer was caught on tape apparently beating a female bartender. The officer has pleaded not guilty.

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

click here to view followup article

Provincetown doesn't like gays

The Provincetown Police Chiefs' LACK OF ACTION allowed a woman to commit suicide (the Chief received 3 days off without pay - note: he already had the days off).

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/n1riw/ptnchief.htm

The Provincetown Police accused of gay bashing (throws a noncombative gay man into an object smashing his face).

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x54545

And yet ANOTHER gay bashing in Provincetown (The victim was discovered unconscious at around 3 AM, lying on the beach covered in bruises, dried blood, and lacerations.)

http://livelovelearn247.blogspot.com/2007/09/another-gay-bashing-in-provincetown.html

These are three very recent articles which would suggest there is a major problem in Provincetown.

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