Police refuse to arrest homophobic attacker despite witnessing assault

A man who was viciously beaten in an anti-gay assault says police officers refused to offer him help.

Omar Villalobos said he was terrified after a homeless man began shouting homophobic abuse at him in the street, before punching him in the face.

However, Mr Villalobos says the situation went from bad to worse after the police officers who witnessed the attack decided to completely ignore it.

“I was holding one side of my face, blood pouring down my hand and onto my white shirt,” he told the New York Post.

“There were six [police officers], all lined up on 42nd Street. Not one of them did anything about it,” he revealed.

“They said they were there for terrorist attacks, not homeless people.”

Villalobos says bystanders who witnessed the attack also begged for them to do something, but they still refused – even thought the perpetrator was only metres away.

“Two bystanders even came over to try and get [the officers] to help, and one of the cops goes, ‘All they’re going to do is put him in the mental clinic and then he’ll be back on the street in no time.’”

He said the man had been looking at him “hatefully” before the attack took place, be he had “very much dismissed it”.

“But then out of nowhere, we just heard mumbling and then the word faggot.

“As I go to respond, he punches me right on my forehead, splitting me open right above my right eyebrow.”

Villalobos needed six stitches to close the wound. Before leaving the scene, he begged officers to help one last time.

“Does it look like we’re helping, find someone who cares,” the officer told them.

NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force say the will investigate Saturday’s incident – but according to the Post, there will be no investigation into the officers’ behaviour.

Lat year, a gay man from Staten Island sued the NYPD over violently beating him after he was dragged from his home.

• Dec 01 2023

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