New York man faces hate crime charges over alleged subway attack
New York City subway (Stock image via Getty Images)
A New York City man has been indicted on hate crime charges after prosecutors say he allegedly attacked another man while shouting anti-gay slurs inside a Harlem subway station.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the indictment this week, calling the alleged assault a “bias-motivated attack”.
According to prosecutors, 26-year-old Tavaughn Thompson allegedly punched the victim multiple times after both men exited the A train near 125th Street and Eighth Avenue on 29 December 2023.
Authorities say Thompson repeatedly used homophobic slurs during the attack, which reportedly left the victim with facial injuries requiring hospital treatment.
Officials said the assault only ended after a bystander intervened and separated the two men.
Police have not publicly identified the victim.
The investigation remained open for more than two years before the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force identified Thompson as a suspect and arrested him in February this year.
“As alleged, Tavaughn Thompson targeted a stranger because of their perceived sexual orientation in an unprovoked, bias-motivated attack,” Bragg said, as per The Advocate. Thompson has been indicted on two counts of third-degree assault as a hate crime and one count of aggravated harassment.
“New Yorkers deserve to be safe using our transit system without fear of violence, discrimination, or harassment,” Bragg added, urging victims and witnesses of hate crimes to come forward and report incidents to authorities.
