Scottsdale police probe new hate crime

Amanda Keim, Tribune

July 24, 2007 - 9:48PM

The BS West establishment and the parking structure in Scottsdale where a patron of the bar was jumped and beaten. Police are calling the incident a hate crime.

Ralph Freso, Tribune

Scottsdale police are investigating the city’s second hate crime since December after a 27-year-old Phoenix man was punched in the jaw after leaving a gay bar last week.

VIDEO: Police investigate violent hate crime

Reader comments (24)

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Todd Stallion

Gay people don't deserve to be beat up. But Gay People's crime do not take presedence over all other crime.

"Gearing met with representatives from groups including the Scottsdale Human Rights Commission and gay-rights group Equity Arizona Friday to discuss the crime and what he’ll do next."

File a friggin police report. If you go out to the bars in scottsdale, odds are one night some drunk moron is going to punch you. Do what the rest of us do, file an assault charge.

If a straight person was punched in the face would this even be in the paper, Give me a break.

Comment has been reviewed

July 24, 2007

Todd Stallion

"These two men assaulted Nick because he was gay - that puts this crime in to a different league than a normal assault."

No it does not. Its against the law to assault anyone no matter what the reason is. Suggest removal of this comment

July 25, 2007

Que pasa

ALL assult cases are hate crime, no matter the motivation. Suggest removal of this comment

July 25, 2007

Sean

Tip of the day:
When crazy drunk men are kicking in the car you're hiding in. Call the cops but don't roll down your window to talk to the men. Chances are they will still be angry and will attempt to kick you instead of the car. Suggest removal of this comment

July 25, 2007

An illogical and PC law

I hve been strongly opposed to the concept of
"hate crime" legislation since it was introduced.

Laws are supposed to put sanctions on unlawful BEHAVIOR. The actions should be charged according to the acts, not the thoughts.

You would not tolerate laws that criminalize "thoughts" but that is what we are doing when we factor in motivation into the behavior.

All disagreements are founded in "hate" in one way or another; no difference between "hating a person because of his thoughts" or any other reasons such as prejudice. A broken jaw is a broken jaw and should not matter if it was because the offender didn't like his clothes or his skin.

This is just a poor method to attempt to correct prejudical attitudes which will not work.

Motivation is important, but it should be in sentencing, i.e., and accident vs intentional acts, etc., but not to raise it from misdemeanor to felony status or automatic increased minimum sentences.

It is all PC BS.

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July 25, 2007

john doe

the difference is that hate crimes are premeditated, and the offender will commit the assaults again and again, without motivation. as if it were a serial attacker.
these are the same people who will end up like our shooter friends...hooked on violence and hurting people

if the same group of men were out making multiple, random assaults across the valley would it make headlines? YES

would they end up with felonies? MOST LIKELY Suggest removal of this comment

July 25, 2007

j

Wow, two "hate crimes" in the past 8 months....what an epidemic. I can't think of a bar in the history of the world that doesn't have assaults like this twice a DAY. Oh, but then I forgot that gays are a "protected species" and are better than the rest of us. Sorry for being insensitive again... Comment has been reviewed

July 25, 2007

Jared

I understand where some of you are coming from, but it is impossible for your to understand because you are clearly heterosexual. Yes assault should be taken very seriously regardless of "the facts" but you also have to recognize that being gay causes prejudice, even in the minds of some police officers, and that causes the victim to get less than the best care from them. on a side note...J, gays and lesbians are not a "species" and I hope you see how ignorant that sounds, even if it was just a sarcastic remark. There are quite a smaller percentage of lgbt individuals that come forward because they are not treated equally by police...it is not simply two hatecrimes since December. Only a small percentage of that community are willing to stand up for themselves, especially in public settings. Don't be so closed minded, and have complete information before you spout off rhetoric from meerly a half-educated perspective. Suggest removal of this comment

July 25, 2007

Todd Stallion

I" understand where some of you are coming from, but it is impossible for your to understand because you are clearly heterosexual."

Wait you understand heterosexuals, but we can't understand homosexuals?

" Yes assault should be taken very seriously regardless of "the facts" but you also have to recognize that being gay causes prejudice,"

Everything causes prejudice.

"even in the minds of some police officers, and that causes the victim to get less than the best care from them."

Apparently they get special treatment.

""There are quite a smaller percentage of lgbt individuals that come forward because they are not treated equally by police...it is not simply two hatecrimes since December. Only a small percentage of that community are willing to stand up for themselves, especially in public settings."

LOL! If you are willing to prance around and make out with a dude in public I think you can muster the courage to call the cops

"Don't be so closed minded, and have complete information before you spout off rhetoric from meerly a half-educated perspective"

The old ignorant, uneducated line... Suggest removal of this comment

July 25, 2007

Thelma

The issue here is not that the 'gay' crime should or should not take precedence over other crimes. Arizona has passed hate crimes legislation that the Scottsdale police do not enforce. If you do not like the legislation you need to get involved politically.

Would this discussion have the same arguments if a couple of white guys beat up a black man and called him a nigger? What if the cops were indifferent his crime? Does a black man claim 'special rights' by using hate crimes laws to prosecute?

The reason gay people are less likely to report crimes is because the police are so indifferent. This case is proof of that. A large percentage of rapes go unreported based on similar fears. By your logic if you dress like a woman and act like a woman you should be able muster the courage to call the cops when you get raped. Yet, that does not happen in every case. Only a percentage get reported. Do you argue those statistics?

If your brother or sister got beat up in similar circumstances would your opinion change?

If this man is willing to stand up and shout about the injustices he feels he faced he should be supported and celebrated in this society of robots willing to look the other way until it happens to them.

If he was treated fairly that will play out. If he was not, he is a vehicle for necessary change.
It is not just PC bull****, it is one person willing to try to change things for the better. Even if you don't agree with the argument, you have to respect the process. He could have just let it all fade away...then what would you talk about?

A gay person can participate in our society. Live, work, pay taxes, vote, raise a family--whatever they choose as long as they don't ask for 'special rights'. What were African-Americans doing in the sixties? How is this any different? Color versus orientation? You are born with both and cannot change it, regardless of what the religious right will tell you.

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