Brooklyn DA Announces Indictment In Alleged Anti-Gay Shooting
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A man has been indicted in an alleged anti-gay attack in Bushwick, Brooklyn, District Attorney Kenneth Thompson announced Tuesday.
Thompson announced the attempted-murder charge against Matthew Smith during a news conference at Maria Hernandez Park in Bushwick, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported. The indictment follows an alleged attack last month on three gay men who were walking down a street dressed in women's clothing.
First, Smith and two others taunted the men, Thompson said.
"What they said were vile, homophobic, anti-gay comments that have no place in Brooklyn," the DA said.
The three gay men walked quickly, trying to get away. "And Mr. Smith pulled out a gun and fired six times at these three men," Thompson said.
One man was shot in the buttocks, according to published reports. He was treated and released at Brookdale University Hospital.
Two other men, Cody Sigue and Tavon Johnson, were also arrested.
There has been a recent rash of violent bias crimes against members of the LGBT community in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Last month, Thompson created a hate crimes unit to deal with the increase in reported cases.
According to the NYPD, Brooklyn had 95 reported hate crimes from Jan. 1 to Sept. 14 — a 30 percent rise compared to the same period in 2013. New York City as a whole saw a 17 percent increase in the same time frame.
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