Anti-Gay Attack at Bronx Subway Station
Hate crime probe underway after hammer-wielding bigot assaults 21-year-old man
BY MATT TRACY
A man at the East Tremont
Avenue subway station
in the Mount Hope
section of the Bronx was
hit with homophobic slurs, beaten
with a hammer, and thrown onto
the train tracks in the early morning
hours on November 15, according
to the NYPD.
Cops said it was around 1 a.m.
when the alleged attacker walked
up to the 21-year-old victim and
called him a “fucking faggot,” leading
to a verbal and physical altercation
that prompted the bigot to
pull out the hammer and shove the
victim off the platform.
Despite landing on the tracks,
the victim was not struck by any
trains and escaped the scene with
only minor injuries. He was transported
to St. Barnabas Hospital in
stable condition.
Police have yet to apprehend the
attacker, but the NYPD described
him as a Black man in his 30s,
5’10” and 150 pounds, with braided
hair, and was last seen wearing
gray sweatpants with a black coat.
The city’s Hate Crimes Task Force
is investigating the incident.
The alleged attack generated
swift responses from elected offi
cials. Governor Andrew Cuomo
directed the state police’s Hate
Crimes Task Force to assist the
NYPD and said he is “absolutely
sickened” by the attack.
“This horrifi c and ugly crime is
repugnant to our values as New
Yorkers, and we have zero tolerance
for such vile acts of hate,”
Cuomo said. “While those fueled
by hate try to spread fear and intolerance
in our communities, New
York will continue to be a beacon of
hope and acceptance for all. When
you attack one New Yorker, you attack
all New Yorkers, and we want
CRIME
the LGBTQ community to know we
will always have their backs.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted
about the attack, calling it “just
reprehensible” and saying “hate
has no home in this city.” He called
on New Yorkers to contact the
NYPD if they have any information
about the attack.
City data shows that there were
35 anti-LGBTQ hate crime arrests
through the fi rst three quarters
of this year, including 12 in the
third quarter. Those cases ranged
from attacks on gay men, lesbians,
transgender folks, and others perceived
to be LGBTQ.
Anti-Gay Attack at Bronx Subway Station
Hate crime probe underway after hammer-wielding bigot assaults 21-year-old man
BY MATT TRACY
A Black transgender woman
was found dead in her
East Harlem apartment
on October 25 by police
offi cers who said her body had been
there several days before anyone
learned she died.
Cops discovered 28-year-old Janette
O’Sullivan’s body at her apartment
at 55 East 110th Street after a
person tried knocking on her door as
part of a wellness check, according
to the NYPD. Police said O’Sullivan
had not been seen for over a week at
the time she was found dead.
The NYPD said an investigation
into O’Sullivan’s death is underway,
but deferred questions about
a cause of death to the Offi ce of
the Chief Medical Examiner. The
medical examiner did not return
inquiries on November 26 about
O’Sullivan’s death.
A person who knew O’Sullivan
told the Daily News, which fi rst reported
on her death, she entered her
building with a man on the last day
she was seen alive.
O’Sullivan’s apartment building is
operated by Good Shepherd Services
and is known as the McLaughlin
East Harlem Residence, which provides
affordable housing to young
adults. The residence offers services
such as counseling, peer groups,
and life-skills training. Those who
knew O’Sullivan cast blame on
Good Shepherd Services for failing
to check on her sooner, according
to the Daily News. Good Shepherd
Services did not respond to Gay City
News’ request for information about
O’Sullivan’s death.
According to the Daily News,
O’Sullivan studied at Baruch College
and was a writer who enjoyed
journalism. She was a stand-up
comedian who performed at venues
like Gotham Comedy Club.
O’Sullivan’s death contributes to
a rising death toll of transgender
women of color nationwide during a
year when at least 22 known trans
women have died.
Assuming she died in her apartment
— that has not been confi rmed
— O’Sullivan would not be the only
LGBTQ person in New York to die
a premature death in their own
home this year. Kawaski Trawick, a
32-year-old out gay Black man, was
fatally shot by cops in April after he
had called police to inform them
that his apartment was on fi re.
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GayCityNews.com | November 28 - December 4, 2019 23
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