Five Hasidic Jews have been arrested in the beating of a gay black man in Brooklyn, N.Y. According to News 12 Brooklyn, the attack occurred in the Williamsburg section in Brooklyn in December 2013.
Taj Patterson was on his way to his home in Fort Greene when he was approached by Aharon Hollender, Abraham Winkler, Mayer Herskovic, Pinchas Braver and Joseph Fried.
The gang grabbed Patterson, threw him to the ground and began punching and kicking him. One of the assailants kicked Patterson in the face and yelled the gay slur, “stay down, f—t, stay the f— down” as other members in the group laughed and cheered.
Patterson was later rushed to the hospital where he was treated for a broken eye socket, a torn retina and blood clotting. Although the attack appeared to motivated by hate with the use of a gay slur, the assailants were not charged with a hate crime.
They were charged with assault and have been released on bond. If convicted, they face up to 25 years in prison.
