Police are searching for a man who destroyed a Pride flag and harassed staff while using homophobic slurs at a Queens sports bar, the NYPD said.
Authorities released a photo and video of the suspect, who can be seen slashing the Pride flag with a knife. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Unit is investigating the incident, which occurred on Friday, Sept. 6 around 2:30 p.m. at Murphy’s sports bar in Astoria.
After grabbing the Pride flag from inside the bar, the man then began calling and threatening workers while using homophobic slurs directed at the staff, according to police. No injuries were reported.
Murphy’s did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Hate crimes are already up by double digits this year, according to a report from the state comptroller. Sexual orientation is the third most common bias motivation behind hate crimes in the state, accounting for almost 17% of the 1,089 hate crime incidents reported.
And of the 669 hate crime incidents committed in New York City, 47% were committed on an antisemitic or homophobic bias, according to the state comptroller’s report – and the crimes are steadily increasing.
This comes after a similar hate crime incident in March, when a man commuting on the subway slashed another passenger with a box cutter while spewing homophobic rhetoric, according to the NYPD.
This is a developing story and may be updated.