The New York Police Department is searching for a suspect in what appears to be an anti-gay attack on a man in Queens.
Police say a 27-year-old man was harassed after exiting the Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer Avenue subway station on Jan. 14 by a group of men who followed him up the escalator after an argument between them ensued at around 9:30 p.m.
Authorities said one of the men made a derogatory comment about the man’s sexual orientation, and that one of those men punched the victim in the face and kicked him before fleeing the scene, reports NBC New York.
According to DNA Info, the man was mocked for wearing “pants so tight” and that he was called an anti-gay slur before being hit.
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The man was taken to Jamaica Hospital for pain, swelling, and bleeding from the nose and hands.
Police described the suspect as approximately 28 to 33 years-old, between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-8 tall, weighing between 260 and 280 pounds.
He was last seen wearing a green hooded sweater, burgundy jacket, blue pants and a black du-rag, officials said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
Hate crimes in New York City have been on the rise, with the NYPD reporting in November that they rose 31.5 percent in 2016 compared to stats from 2015.
