New York police arrests suspect in anti-lesbian subway attack
Allasheed Allah left a woman with a fractured spine in a violent homophobic attack. (Gothamist/Youtube)
The New York Police Department (NYPD) has arrested a man suspected of attacking a woman on the subway, leaving her with a fractured spine.
The man was identified as 54 year old Allasheed Allah. He was arraigned on Thursday (December 13) and charged with assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime, NBC News reported.
The assault took place on November 30 in the borough of Queens. The suspect was reportedly angered by the sight of two women kissing on a subway train and began hurling homophobic abuse at one of them.
According to the police, the suspect followed the 20-year-old woman out of the subway, punching her and pushing her to the ground, causing her to hit her head and fracture her spine.
“Thank you to all New Yorkers who called in tips. Together, we’re all Crime Stoppers!”
— New York Police Department
The New York Police appealed to the public for help in apprehending the person responsible for the attack, who reportedly fled the scene. The authorities thanks the public for all the tips received, which ultimately led to Allah’s arrest.
“The Individual who was wanted for a Hate Crime in the @NYPD112Pct #Queens, has been APPREHENDED! Thank you to all #NewYorkers who called in tips. Together, we’re all Crime Stoppers!” the NYPD Crime Stoppers, who reward tips with up to $2,500, wrote in a tweet on December 12.
Hate crimes in the US against LGBT+ people are on the rise
The November 30 attack came two months after another man was charged with hate crime after attacking a gay couple in Brooklyn. The suspect, 25-year-old consultant Brandon McNamara, first approached the two men making anti-gay comments and then attacked them, punching the 34-year-old and throwing the 29-year-old against a tree. The two victims received treatment in hospital for their injuries.
McNamara was charged with assault as a hate crime, two counts of assault, aggravated harassment as a hate crime and harassment as a hate crime in the first and second degrees—he faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
New York Police Department has apprehended the suspect thanks to tips from the public,. (Drew Angerer/Getty)
Hate crimes in the US against LGBT+ people have been on the increase in the past few years, according to FBI data. 17 percent of all hate crime victims in 2016 were targeted because of their sexual orientation.
Last year, a 27-year-old Brooklyn man was indicted on charges of assault as a hate crime after entering into an argument with a lesbian couple on the subway and punching one of the women in the face, knocking her unconscious.
He also called the victim, who needed eight stitches, a “faggot” and “dyke.”
